An Offer of a Lifetime
by doragon no mizu
Summary: Two years have passed since the story came to an end and Ahiru finds herself discontent. In her desperation she accepts an offer from Drosselmeyer to become Princess Tutu again. The catch: she'll die in one year.
1. An Offer of a Lifetime

A/N: Okay, just a real quick note to start us off. This is still kind of in the experimental stage, but I'm taking this all the way. So don't fret. But, please, please, _PLEASE_ let me know how the idea sounds, because it helps me cement ideas. Thank you! Please enjoy!

**SPOILERS: Do not read if you haven't finished the anime.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Princess Tutu. I did, however, get the DVD box set for Christmas. This goes for the rest of the story, so there.

* * *

_Once upon a time, there was a puppet. This puppet quickly grew tired of always being controlled by a puppeteer and desired to be freed from her strings to choose her own destiny. Eventually, the puppet liberated herself from her thread prison and was able to control her own future. But, could this really be what the puppet wanted?_

Kinkan town was a small town, where everyone knew each other and everyone had a set routine. Inside of this town, there was a forest, and deep in the forest was a lake. Little did the citizens of this town know that this lake had a magical background: this lake was where a duck became a girl, and a girl became a hero. Now, the lake was a prison to the once-hero, the restored duck. A duck whose friends forgot her, all except one: a young man who was a catch among the ladies, who was once a knight, who helped save Kinkan town; a young man whose dearest friend was no more than a duck. Even with this one loyal friend, the duck was lonely most of the day while the young man went about his duties. The duck could not even imagine how her friend kept his promise to stay by her side forever when they couldn't even talk. How the duck desired to go back to being a girl, no matter how awkward she was.

The duck, whose name was Ahiru, had better days. When she was a girl she had long light poppy hair tied into a braid, a whisper of freckles across her cheek, and big blue eyes. She was enrolled in Kinkan Academy for ballet, along with Fakir and her previous love interest, the Prince Mytho. Through the power of a pendant, a gift from a sadistic writer, the duck was able to become this girl, and the girl was able to become the graceful heroine, Princess Tutu. The princess was very similar to Ahiru in feature, the same build, the same appearance—minus the freckles—and the same gigantic heart that loved everyone and everything. The main difference between the two females was grace: Tutu was a beautiful prima ballerina, whereas Ahiru was the awkward wannabe who had trouble with the basics of ballet. When Ahiru was Princess Tutu, she had the ability to calm peoples' hearts, put their emotions at ease and give others happiness, while holding on to the hope that the Prince would recognize the feelings that she was forbidden to speak, and give her happiness by staying with her after she put his heart back together. Such desires were left unfulfilled as the Prince left the broken duck that gave her dreams up so he could be happy. Ahiru was left, stuck in a form that didn't feel natural, without anything—save for her knight. And, truly, she couldn't be happier—for a while, anyway. As time passed, Fakir has less and less time to spend with her, and even when he did their communication was lacking. As time passed Ahiru came to feel more and more like a burden.

"_Little Ahiru, what bothers you so_?" a deep baritone voice rumbled through the air, startling Ahiru from her silent reverie. A slight fear grew in her heart when she recognized the voice being that of her nemesis, Drosselmeyer.

"N-nothing! I am perfectly fine!" Ahiru shot back—instantly surprised when she didn't reply in quacks, but in human language.

A thunderous laugh filled the area as two red eyes appeared above her, accusing her of lying, "_Now, now Ahiru. Don't tell me that is how you really feel. You don't feel betrayed that your prince left you so he could be with the girl who was trying to destroy him? Do you not feel betrayed that even after the prince saw that you were no more than a duck, yet had such strong feelings for him, he didn't even feel remorse for leaving you?_"

Tears welled up in the poor bird's eyes as she fervently shook her head, "No! Rue… Rue stayed by his side all those years… it was only… only…"

"_But what did she give up for the prince? You gave up your ability to be a girl, your ability to dance, your friends, and your happiness. And what did she give up?_" Drosselmeyer's wide smirk became visible as he taunted her, "_Nothing_."

Her feathers ruffled at this unfair accusation. "That's not true! Rue suffered so long for him! If anyone deserves his love, it's her!"

_"Ah, how true. Rue _did_ suffer quite a long time for him... Such good friends you two are. I bet she feels horrible she not only got the Prince, but you lost everything! She and the Prince _must_ come to visit you every day!"_

She look down dejectedly at this. No, they hadn't visited her since they left... _could_ they?

His disembodied eyes glinted, knowing he had hit his mark. "_What's this? They haven't come to visit? Why! After all the pain you went through for them, and they don't even pay you the courtesy of a visit! How unfortunate. How horridly lonely you must feel, you had loved the Prince so much! I suppose she got what she wanted, keeping the Prince all to herself..._"

"It doesn't matter!" Ahiru shot back, "I don't love him anymore!"

The smirk faded as the rest of his face appeared. As suddenly as his leer faded it came back with a vengeance. "_Don't love the prince, hm?" _he drawled,_ "Could someone else have filled that spot in my little duck's heart?_"

Ahiru's eyes narrowed, "No, I'm just a duck. Leave me alone."

Suddenly a booming laugh shook the air around her as his visage dissipated from her sight, "_We will see, Ahiru, we will see._"

Ahiru relaxed a little now that he was gone, but her heart picked up pace. "We will see?" Ahiru murmured, perplexed.

"Ahiru, I've brought bread." the voice of Fakir beckoned the small fowl over to him. Ahiru opened her beak, preparing to warn Fakir that Drosselmeyer was back, only to be rewarded with the sound of loud quacks. "What's wrong Ahiru?" Fakir questioned, concerned by her rambunctious noise making.

Ahiru sighed and gave up, letting herself eat the bread crumbs that Fakir brought her, offering a soft "qua."

Fakir sighed as he watched Ahiru bob with the water as she ate her crumbs. "Ahiru… do you ever miss being a girl?" Fakir whispered.

Ahiru stopped eating and looked up at him with her big eyes, "Qua?"

Fakir shook his head and leaned back on his elbows, "Why do I bother? I can't understand what you say no matter how hard I try…" The yellow bird's heart stopped when those words were uttered, and she stared at the knight, not daring utter even the quietest quack. "Ahiru," Fakir murmured, "Sometimes… I wonder why we were denied a happy ending," he quickly shook his head, "No, I'm speaking nonsense. I need to get back home," he looked back at the duck and gave a half smile, "I'll see you later, idiot."

Ahiru didn't even hear the last part as she watched Fakir's retreating back. With his every visit he was growing increasingly somber. "Qua…"

"_I thought so, little duck,_" Drosselmeyer came back, "_You have fallen in love with the useless knight! My worthless great grandson has captured the young duck's heart,_" a laugh ripped through his lips, "_The rejected princess and the unneeded knight. This will be a tragedy yet!_"

Ahiru's feathers ruffled at this, "It already is a tragedy! ... And I don't love Fakir!" Ahiru shouted at him, her eyes filled with tears, "I'm a duck… just a duck…"

A glint could be seen in the maniacal eyes, "_That could be fixed, young Ahiru._"

The small, yellow bird looked up at him, "Wha-what do you mean?"

"_Ah, I've piqued your interest, eh? I'm making you an offer… An offer of a lifetime_," Drosselmeyer watched as the duck struggled internally.

"What… what is it?" the young bird stared at him, knowing she would regret asking, but desperate to be a girl again all the same.

Drosselmeyer grinned, _"Why, become Princess Tutu again, help those whose hearts have gone astray, do this and you will also become a girl again. You can be with Fakir again._"

Ahiru shook her head, "No! I'm through with you!" she turned away from him, trying to keep him from getting to her, "You're a horrible person who only causes pain!"

_"Isn't that what the Prince did to you? Cause pain? You gave him everything, and he kept on taking. It wasn't bad enough that he chose someone who was going to feed him to her father over you, no… he had to take away your only chance at love: he left you a miserable duck._" Drosselmeyer watched her reaction.

"That… that isn't true, Rue deserved him." Ahiru mumbled, but stopped swimming away from the apparition.

"_Why shouldn't you be happy, Ahiru? Why shouldn't you spend your life with your knight_?"

Ahiru turned around and faced him, "Fakir said we should go back to being who we are."

Drosselmeyer chuckled, "_Yes, and how happy he is with his decision. Did he look happy? His friend is a duck that he can't even understand. I imagine if he had the chance, he would take those words back._"

Ahiru looked down at her reflection, "What… what's the catch?"

Drosselmeyer's lips stretched into a malevolent smile, "_In one year's time, you will die_."

"What?!" The duck sputtered as she tried not to choke, "Why would I make a deal like that?!"

"_Well, it's a simple price considering the deal I'm making you. You'll not only become a girl and Princess Tutu again, you'll never turn back into a duck._"

Ahiru's eyes widened, "Never…?"

He nodded, "_Yes, never_."

"No," Ahiru shook her head, "I'm not being drawn into your schemes again."

_"What about the Knight? Will you leave him to spend his life alone, doomed to visit a duck the rest of his life while dreaming of so much more_?"

Ahiru stopped, "Fakir… is unhappy?"

"_Did he look happy to you? No matter what happens, you will die. Would you rather die after having one year of happiness, or would you rather die after years of misery and desolation?_"

Ahiru looked towards the dock that Fakir usually sat on while he visited her; she wasn't so sure she wanted to spend the rest of her life looking at that dock. She looked back at Drosselmeyer. "I accept."

The deceased writer's eyes flashed, "_Yes, yes! Very good_."

A flash of light momentarily blinded her. Once it faded, a pure white pendant adorned her neck and her limbs began stretching out, her feathers disappearing, her beak shrinking and softening. Booming laughter made the lake vibrate as Drosselmeyer stared at the bubbles surfacing in the lake where a duck used to be. "_Let the tragedy begin._"

* * *

Fakir sighed as he made his made his back to the lake. Though he tried to visit every day, it became increasingly more difficult to do so and he had admittedly missed a few days. As such, he tried to make every visit count, he would stay for a couple hours, anyway, to make up for lost time. Yesterday he broke his rule, and hardly stayed for a few minutes... she would probably be angry with him. These visits had gotten harder on him, though. He tried so hard to understand her, but the best they could do was a series of yes and no questions. She was so close to him, yet so far away—it had become maddening. Fakir tried not to let his discontent become apparent to the little duck. She had nothing left, no one remembered her except for him. No one visited her except for him, and his visits were becoming scattered in number. She had to be lonely... It would be a wonder if Ahiru would give him so much as a quack. Hopefully his peace offering—her favorite kind of bread fresh from the oven—would help pacify her feelings.

"Hey, Ahiru! I brought you a gift!" Fakir shouted as he walked onto the dock. He frowned when no small feathered body approached him, or even turned their back to him. "Ahiru?" In fact… there wasn't anything remotely feathered and yellow in the clearing. "AHIRU!" Fakir shouted again. Panic struck his heart, "Damn it!" He scanned the area multiple times when his eye caught a flash of yellow amongst the reeds on the far side of the lake. Fear filling his heart he dashed around the shoreline of the water.

He hadn't been running long when he could fully make out what exactly the yellow was, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. Pale flesh, the end of a poppy-colored braid, a muddied yellow shirt and a muddied white skirt... a girl. A girl whom—though he could not see her face—held a painfully strong resemblance to his Ahiru. He could hardly breathe nor move, his body was locked in a utter shock. 'Am I dreaming?' He couldn't tear his eyes away from her body, his feet began sluggishly forcing him onward of their own volition. His pace was agonizingly slow, though he couldn't gain control of his movements to speed them up. All he could do was stare.

When he finally reached her, he fell to his knees in wonder as he pushed aside the reeds blocking her face from view. A shuddering breath escaped his lips, when he finally saw her. It was Ahiru. Her face was delicate, long black eyelashes, caramel freckles dusted her nose, bangs that stuck to her forehead from their wetness, small pouty lips that we separated ever so slightly from which... no breath was escaping. Fakir cursed when he was struck out of his reverie, hurriedly crawling over to her lithe form.

"Ahiru!" he shook her shoulders. Nothing. He bit his lip and leaned over, trying to see if her chest was rising or if he could feel her breath on his cheek. Again, nothing. Sucking in a deep breath, he leaned down and tilted her head back while pinching her nose. He pressed his lips against hers and blew air into her, giving her two breaths. He then popped back up and began thrusting her chest.

Following a cough, water spurted from the girl's mouth and she moaned. Fakir desperately waited for her to speak to him, to prove to him she wasn't a mirage, a dream he dreamt up to quell his guilt. "A…Ahiru?"

Cornflower blue eyes peeked up at him through thick, black eyelashes. "Fakir?" the voice was soft and hoarse, yet it had matured over the past two years.

The young man's eyes flickered happily, "Idiot! You had me scared!"

A small, tired smile fell on her lips, "I didn't know that the great Fakir got scared…" her voice faded as she lost consciousness. Fakir studied her face for a second before his fingers fell to her carotid artery, checking for her pulse. Once he was satisfied with the pulse beneath his appendages, he leaned down and scooped the small female into his arms.

"You're hopeless." Despite the words, a bright smile stretched across his lips as he carried the duck-girl through the town and back to his house; the curious whispers following him not even phasing his mood.

"Fakir, you're back early. Dinner's not ready yet, but—" Charon, Fakir's adoptive father, cut off when he noticed the muddy young woman in his son's arms. "Is she alright?" Charon asked immediately, dropping what he was doing to check on the girl's health.

"She should be—I think she's just unconscious…" Fakir faded off as Charon gently yet forcefully led him to the bedroom.

"Lay her down in the bed and situate her under the blankets, the poor girl looks like she's freezing cold." Fakir complied with his father's command and gently set Ahiru down on his bed. Charon watched observantly as his son wrapped the pale girl in his blankets. "She looks awfully familiar… She a friend of yours?"

Fakir stood before nodding at Charon, "Yeah. She's an old friend of mine. She used to come over here a lot a couple of years ago."

Charon's eyebrow furrowed, "Oh? I don't remember that… No matter. What happened to her?"

"I uh—" Fakir paused. What did happen? He had no clue. Why was Ahiru suddenly human again? "—I'm not quite sure, really. I just found her on the lakeshore." he opted to tell the truth, it was the best policy, after all.

Charon nodded and glanced down at the svelte girl. "There's nothing else we can do until she wakes up. Why don't we go eat dinner and check up on her later?"

Fakir nodded and followed Charon to the kitchen, giving one last look at his duck.

* * *

"_Would you rather die after having one year of happiness, or would you rather die after years of misery and desolation?"_

"_I don't want to give up being Princess Tutu… I don't want the story to end."_

"_It's not so bad, going back to being a duck. After all, that's what you are: a duck."_

"_Yes, and how happy he is with his decision."_

"_In one year's time, you will die."_

"_**Come little Ahiru, it is time you make this tragedy a masterpiece."**_

Ahiru bolted up, her eyes wide in fear. "Wh-what?!" she looked down in surprise when she heard a human voice instead of her quacking. "It wasn't a dream?" she gasped as she flexed her human fingers and wiggled her human toes.

"What wasn't a dream?" a deep voice asked from beside her.

"Eh?!" Ahiru gasped, her face flushed red, "Fakir!" she beamed before launching herself at him, which wasn't a bright idea since she was wrapped tightly in the blankets. Within the first two conscious minutes of being a human again, Ahiru managed to fall off of a bed, tackle Fakir to the ground and tangle the two of them together. Her happiness at the moment over ruled her embarrassment as she clutched Fakir's middle. "I'm human again Fakir! Isn't it great?!"

Fakir, however, did notice the precarious position they were currently in. His face instantaneously turned bright red as he struggled to pry himself out of Ahiru's hold. "A-Ahiru! Let go!"

This seemed to bring the overjoyed red-head's attention to their position. "Oh! Sorry!" she jumped back from him, only succeeding in tripping over the blanket she was still bundled in. "Uwaaah!" Fakir couldn't help but laugh when the klutz fell to the ground with a thud.

"You didn't change at all, did you?"

Freckled cheeks puffed at the statement, "I have too, Fakir! I'm two years older, thank you! Lookit!" Ahiru jumped up, this time taking the time to untangle herself from the blankets, "See? I'm, er… well, I'm uh… taller." she placed her hand atop her head and showed him that she nearly reached his shoulders now.

Fakir couldn't help but smile at Ahiru's attempts to prove she had grown up since the last time she stood as a human. He blushed slightly, she had changed. Apparently she hit puberty while she was a duck. The changes weren't too pronounced, but she definitely gained curves compared to her former, straight-edged body. Her hair had gotten longer, and the soft freckles were becoming less prominent.

"Fakir? What's wrong? You look like you're overheating." Ahiru pressed her lips together as she reached up to feel his forehead.

"Ah, nothing, nothing," he dismissed it before her hand reached its destination, "Ahiru… how _are_ you human again?"

Cornflower blue eyes peered up at him with a slightly clouded gaze. 'I can't tell him that I made a deal with Drosselmeyer, he'll be furious!' "I… don't know…" she diverted her gaze to the window, "I was on the lake when suddenly a light flashed and I felt like my body was stretching. Then, suddenly, coldness engulfed me and… black."

Fakir studied her profile for a second before adding, "And the pendant?"

The former duck blinked and looked down at her chest where the pearlescent gem hung from a simple black cord, similarly to her last pendant. "I… er…" she peeked up at him through her bangs and bit her lip before shaking her head, "I don't…"

Fakir grunted before turning away from her, "Come on, Charon made you some food."

Ahiru mentally sighed and cursed herself for not telling Fakir, but it was better he didn't know. "He didn't have to go to the trouble."

"Please," Fakir dismissed, "even if I insisted he didn't make you anything, I couldn't have stopped him."

As he led her down the hallway, Ahiru reached down and fingered the stone around her neck in wonder. 'Be Princess Tutu once again, huh? What would be my purpose then? The Prince no longer needs his heart…?'

"Watch where you're going," Fakir absentmindedly commanded when Ahiru ran into his back, "I don't need you walking into things."

"Sorry Fakir!" she dropped her pendant quickly and scratched the back of her head. "Oh, wow, it smells good!"

Fakir looked at her strangely, "It's cold, Charon made it a couple of hours ago. He's been making extra of every meal since I brought you back from the lake."

"How long was I out?" Ahiru asked in surprise, it felt like only hours ago those macabre eyes stared at her on the lake.

"About three days."

Ahiru's eyes widened considerably, "What?!"

Fakir went about warming up the meal, "Charon called a doctor to come look at you, and he said everything was fine, we just needed to keep you warm... you were out longer than we thought you'd be, though. He had a nurse change you into one of my mother's old dresses Charon had held onto." Admittedly, he had added the last bit in so she wouldn't think Fakir had changed her himself. She looked down in surprise at the mauve dress that hung from her shoulders, albeit loosely, as his mother had been a taller and more filled-out woman. He shook his head, she hadn't even noticed the dress until he had said anything.

Once she was done swaying around in the fabric, she looked up at him. "Where _is_ Charon?"

"He's at the shop. He won't be back until closing time," Fakir glanced back at her, "Sit. You shouldn't be standing too much."

Ahiru scrunched her nose in protest, but did as he said. "So… how have things been going?"

Fakir smiled slightly as he shook his head and set a plate in front of her, "Please, nothing has changed since the last time we talked."

"That was two years ago." She grabbed the fork that was beside the plate and began digging into the mass of food before her.

Forest green eyes paused and softened as he stared heavily at her, regretting making that comment. "I—"

"Oh wow! This tastes amazing Fakir!"

'Got out of that one I guess,' Fakir half laughed at the rambunctious girl as she tore into the food.

"This is the best meal I've had in years!" Ahiru stuffed her mouth full, making it hard for her to chew, but some how got through it. Fakir shook his head and tried to stop himself from laughing at the spectacle she made of herself, knowing she'd get mad at him. Honestly though, she made it too easy. "Mmpph! Fakir, I'm so happy to be human again!" she declared as she shoved another steamed carrot into her mouth.

Fakir's eyes fell down to the ivory stone that hung from her neck, "We should really look into that pendant, Ahiru. This could be Drosselmeyer again…"

Ahiru stopped eating, her appetite suddenly dissipating. "But, we defeated him. And you destroyed the machine; I saw it with my own two eyes. How could he come back?" she avoided his gaze. But, she had asked the question sincerely: Just how did Drosselmeyer come back to make that deal with her after they had defeated him?

Fakir stared at her, "Anything is possible with that man. Are you sure you didn't see him at all?"

Ahiru glared at him, "Are you calling me a liar?" She mentally cursed herself, 'Well, he should be, idiot!'

Fakir groaned in frustration, "No. Just… forget it. I need to go to the library, just… make yourself at home." He stood up and walked towards the door. He looked over his shoulder before walking out and added, "Oh, and, don't break anything."

Ahiru huffed, "Yeah, I missed you too!" she added in a mumble, "Jerk." Her blue eyes scanned the room before she got up and began exploring Fakir's house. The previous times she had been here, she never actually got to look around. She only saw the kitchen-dining room and the hall. "Oh! Those are…" Ahiru felt a smile stretch across her lips when she saw a portrait of a much younger Fakir. Another picture featured a gorgeous, blithe woman wearing the same dress she was currently, an infant with a sprig of dark green hair cradled adoringly in her arms. "Aww…"

_Thip. Thip._

"Oh!" Ahiru gasped and looked down at the floor. Two small, dark splashes were on the floor.

_Thip. Thip. Thip._

The spots grew bigger. "What…?" Ahiru lightly touched her cheeks, only to find them wet. "Am I… crying?" The tears had come unbidden and were now uncontrollably falling from her eyes. "Why can't I stop?" She looked back up at the picture of Fakir as a young child.

'That's right. I only have a year left with him. I don't want to spend it fighting…' The tears feel with increasing rapidity. "I'm sorry Fakir! I-I… I hate lying to you so much! I'm sorry for betraying you." Ahiru turned her back to the pictures and slid down the wall where she cradled her head between her knees as she sobbed.

"**That's right little Ahiru. Sink into despair!**"

Ahiru lifted her head, shaking it slightly. "I have to be strong! I'm going to live this year to fullest and make Fakir proud of me!" The duck reached down and wiped her eyes off with her white skirt before she pushed herself off of the ground. "I'll prove my worth to him! And we'll be happy this time through… no more pain."

* * *

Charon stretched his arms above his head and kicked his shoes off as he entered his house. "Oh. Fakir must have cleaned up some…" The floors were fairly clean and the furniture seemed to be dusted.

"O-Oh! I'm sorry, sir!" a soft voice stammered, "I had nothing else to do really, and I uh… wanted to thank you for your hospitality… So I thought that—"

Charon grinned widely when he realized their invalid had awoken, "Ah, I see you have awoken! Ahiru, is it? Fakir never told me your name, but I heard him mumble it a time or two."

Ahiru nodded, brushing some of the salmon strands of hair out of her face, "Yes, sir."

"Please, call me Charon!" he lightly placed his hand on her back and led her to the living room, motioning her to sit down, "As much as I appreciate the gesture, you don't have to clean the house. You just woke up after nearly drowning, you should be resting!" the blacksmith gently took the cleaning rag from her and tossed it in the laundry. "Now, where is that troublesome son of mine? He should have been here to make sure you were safe and alright when you woke up."

"Oh, he was! He left a couple of hours ago, though."

Charon shook his head in exasperation, "That boy!" he sat down on the chair across from Ahiru, "I hope he didn't offend you in any way, he can be rude when he doesn't mean to. He was very worried about you, hardly left your bedside, he did. I don't think I've ever seen him so concerned before in my life."

Ahiru smiled warmly at the thought of Fakir worrying over her. "It's alright," she assured him, "Fakir wasn't too rude, he was just going to check on something at the library."

Charon's eyes beamed, "That boy and his books; he has writing in his blood. His great grandfather was a great author, I've heard."

The duck could hardly stifle the ironic laugh that bubbled in her throat. "He would make an excellent writer… I wish he would write more."

"Ah, perhaps that will never happen. Ever since the accident…" he faded off and the two could hear the door close and a scuffle in the hallway.

"Ahiru, did you—" Fakir stopped when he saw his father sitting across from the girl, "Oh, Charon. You're home early."

Charon's eyebrows rose, "And I see you're finally home. This poor girl was left to take care of her self."

Fakir's eye twitched and he looked toward Ahiru who stared back at him with worried eyes, "I apologize. There was something urgent I needed to look into."

The blacksmith looked at him skeptically, "I don't get you sometimes, boy. You spend that whole time worrying your mind out over this here girl and then—"

Ahiru stopped him, "Oh, please don't get mad at him. It was my fault really," she scratched her head and sweat dropped, "he was looking into something for me." She wasn't lying, she knew what he was at the library for: to try and figure out why she was human again.

Charon sighed, "Well, that still doesn't make it right. Alright, well, I guess I'll get on to making dinner for everyone." He stood and glanced at Ahiru, "Fakir, did you ever get around to washing the clothes she was wearing?"

"I—no."

He shot Fakir a stern look, but then turned to Ahiru. "You're probably horribly uncomfortable in that dress, it's not your size at all... I was hoping it might be, but..."

"Not at all! It's very beautiful!" Ahiru quickly assured him.

"Be that as it may, you've been laying in it for three days, I can't have you wearing that any longer..." He looked over at his son, "Fakir! Lend her some of your clothes and go wash hers immediately."

Fakir nodded in consent, not wanting to further upset him.

Before going about making dinner he added, "And don't do anything untoward to her while you're upstairs, Fakir."

"C-Charon!" His face flushed a striking red.

A rolling chuckle trailed behind the aged man as he walked into the kitchen.

"Hmph. Well, come on," Fakir grunted and led Ahiru back to his bedroom.

Ahiru watched as Fakir rustled through his drawers for some smaller clothing that would fit her better, "Thank you Fakir."

Fakir stopped and looked up at her, "What for?"

"For rescuing me from the lake," Ahiru smiled at him.

He snorted and went back to what he was doing, "Stop being sentimental, idiot."

Ahiru's smile widened and she looked around the room, it was obviously Fakir's: a writing desk was in the corner, books piled on top of it and the head of a small desk light barely peeking out, everything neat and orderly. Not to mention his dresser was in there…

"Oh, Fakir! Where have you been sleeping? Isn't this the room I was in?"

Fakir could feel the concern seeping from her. "I slept on the couch."

Her delicate brow furrowed, "But this is your room, I should've slept on the couch!"

Fakir dropped an old dark blue shirt into her hands along with a pair of black pants. "Don't worry over it. You were sick, we weren't about to dump you on the couch."

Ahiru stared up at him with a soft smile, "Thank y—"

"Just get changed, will ya?" Fakir left the room, shutting the door behind him—which didn't do much to muffle the "idiot" he murmured.

"Hey, I heard you, jerk!" Ahiru shot at him. "That man, I swear…" she reached behind her to unbutton the old dress, which went a lot better than she expected! Until she got to the ones between her shoulders, anyway. "Great..."

"Ahiru? Are you alright in there?"

"Fine!" she huffed as she tried to contort her arms into doing things they were not made to do. She even tried to wiggle her body out of the fabric without undoing those particular buttons. No dice. She sighed in defeat. "Fakir... I need help..."

An exasperated grunt came from the other side of the door as the door started to open, "You can't even dress your—" His face turned bright red. She was glaring at him from over her shoulder, her bottom lip protruding in annoyance. The dress hung even looser on her body with the majority of the buttons undone, and she had started doing so from the bottom it looks like, as his eyes were immediately drawn to the white, gentle curve of her rather attractive posterior. He gulped and quickly averted his eyes.

"I can't reach the last couple buttons," she muttered, "would you mind?"

He hesitated and swallowed again—it seemed he was producing way more saliva than normal—before he awkwardly walked over to her. "I-idiot! Can't e-even button your own clo-clothes." He forced his eyes to concentrate only on the two buttons still fastened, no matter how tempted his eyes were to stray.

Ahiru furrowed her brow and clutched the cloth tightly to her chest, not wanting it to fall off entirely when he finished. The dress slackened around her frame, indicating he had finished. By the time she fully turned her head to thank him, the door was already slamming shut.

"Humph!" she frowned as she let the dress fall to the floor. "Rude!" She grabbed his shirt while shooting a glare at the door.

Fakir was sweating more than normal as he tugged at the collar of his shirt. His eyes were wide as he tried to force the image from his mind, but couldn't stop thinking of it all the same. She had definitely grown these past two years.

_Click._

Fakir looked up when the door opened, trying to obtain a calmer countenance. Ahiru came out dressed in his clothes from a handful of years ago, yet she still swam in them. This was definitely not helping his struggle as one of his sleeves slid down her shoulder, revealing the creamy skin of her shoulder. However, his train of thought left him when his eye caught the snow white pendant hanging around her neck; it seemed to give off an ethereal glow when outlined in the dark colors of his clothing.

"Here," a neatly folded dress was presented to him, "I, uh—"

"Kids, dinner's done."

Fakir grunted and turned away from her. 'I've got to figure out where that pendant came from.'

* * *

Ahiru's eyes fluttered open, only to snap back shut when streams of bright light fell onto them. "Mmh…" She forced herself to sit up and went for the window. "Oh." It was a surprise to her, really. She opened the window, yet she wasn't mobbed by a flock of birds. With a slight feeling of longing, Ahiru closed the window again and went to get dressed when some yellow cloth caught her eye.

On the dresser her shirt and skirt were neatly folded and placed. Ahiru smiled and changed into them before heading downstairs.

A deep voice greeted her at the bottom of the stairs, "I see you're finally awake."

"Oh, Fakir! Thank you for washing my—"

He interrupted her, "I'm going to the library, and you're coming with me."

Excitement filled her eyes, "Autor's still working there, right? I haven't seen him in a long time."

Fakir groaned and handed her a piece of toast, "Yes, now come on."

Sunshine seemed to flow from Ahiru as they walked through town—waving at people she used to know, greeting those she didn't, inspecting every same and different detail of the town. Everything was so special to her and made her happy; Fakir himself couldn't help but smile when he was with her.

"Fakir, look! The florist has a new species of flower out! Oh and the baker's offering some new types of bread. Wow! Everything's so beautiful!"

Fakir laughed, "Ahiru, you're scaring everyone."

"Oh!" she stopped flitting from store to store and stand to stand, "I didn't mean to. Sorry everyone!"

He rolled his eyes and turned into the library, "Come on now, I don't need you making a scene."

Rows of books greeted them and Fakir quickly went to work, looking through shelves with almost a memorized ease. Every once in a while he would pull a book out and set it on a table in the corner of the room. Ahiru looked around warily; it was a waste for her to be here, really. She knew why she was human: she had made a deal.

'No, it's not a waste. I get to spend it with Fakir. The least I can do is make it easier for him.' She glanced through the titles, and bit her lip. Though she said that, she didn't want him figuring out why she was human. The look her would give her… she wasn't sure if she could ever face his disappointment.

"Can I help you?" a strange voice asked from behind her.

"Oh, Autor!" Ahiru grinned at him, "It's been a while!"

Autor pushed his glasses up, "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Ahiru's eyes widened and she looked down. 'I guess he forgot who I was, too,' She shook her head, "I'm sorry. I, uh… I'm a friend of Fakir's, I'm here with him."

"Oh, I see," Autor looked at her oddly and he's eyes seemed to flash with a deep emotion, "And what is Fakir here for?"

"He's… uh… researching something. Drosselmeyer, I think."

Autor grunted, "That again… Very well, just keep it down." With that, he disappeared behind the row of bookcases.

"Oh!" Ahiru glanced down at the stone around her neck. It was glowing an almost blinding white and a sense of warmth engulfed her. "Autor has…?" She glanced towards Fakir, who was studiously pouring himself over the books he had collected, before following Autor.

* * *

A/N: Okay, well, let me know what you think of it. This is my first PT fan fiction, and I'm working hard on it. I took me about a month to write this much. Anyway. Review por favor?

**Edit (April 17, 2013):** In order to get back to working on this story some, I'm going back and editing some of the older chapters. Not major things, mostly grammatical things, some minor story elements. Just thought I'd let ya'll know. I'm back in the game.


	2. Tainting the Pure

_Once upon a time, there was a man who loved a woman very much, but this man always felt like she loved another—where in reality she only had eyes for him. For years the man stayed by her side, never telling her how he felt, when one day the woman disappeared. The man was devastated and spent most of his life looking for her, only to realize it was too late._

Fakir's brow furrowed as he scanned over the words in the book. Everything was so cryptic it was hard to make heads or tails of any of the information, and what little did make sense didn't help him. Hell, he doubted if the cryptic parts were any help either.

'Ahiru… Who did this?' he glared angrily at the book for not giving him any answers. 'Why are you human? What is that pendant? Why does it seem like you're fate's plaything?' These questions among many others whirled around in his head, begging for attention—an answer.

Fakir's eyes softened suddenly when he saw an old woodprint of a crying princess in one of the books. He had been treating the fact she was human again like it was a curse, but that wasn't at all the case. There was a chance for them to get a happy ending now, she could start dancing again and reunite with her old friends, she could do things her previous role wouldn't allow her to. Was it really a curse? And he… he could be with her again. They could talk and argue; he felt when he was with her, he could do anything. Was that why Ahiru was acting weird around him? He hadn't really shown her how happy he was to have her back. Did she feel like he didn't want her around?

Dark green eyes couldn't stop themselves from wandering across the room to where he had last seen Ahiru, only to find her missing. He smiled and tried to concentrate on his book again, "Idiot probably got lost."

* * *

It was a familiar sensation to her, an almost _golden_ heat engulfed her and it dissipated like water dripping from her skin. And for the first time in two years, Ahiru stood gracefully en pointe. It was the exact same outfit as she had remembered—except for everything was pristine white, save for her hair, eyes and skin. Even the pendent was the same, but completely white. The once gold crown and necklace she wore were now silver and the former golden bracelets were made of pearls.

"_A swan's feathers are white, after all."_

"Autor, please tell me what bothers you so." Princess Tutu stared at him with wide, concerned eyes.

He looked away from her, "I do not share my personal information with those I do not know."

"But you seem so sad," She approached him with an air of elegance, "You have emotions that you cannot explain, and they are causing you grief."

"What do you know?!" Autor snapped.

"I can see it written clearly across your face. Please… come dance with me."

Autor stared at her hand in disdain, but another feeling bubbled up… something familiar, and it told him to accept. "I… I feel longing for something I do not remember… I feel as though I loved someone, but lost them. And from that feeling stems a burning anger."

Princess Tutu leaned forward and lifted her leg, arabesque. "There are feelings from the past that will always haunt us. We may never remember who or what caused them, but it is important we do not let them stop us from living in our current emotions." She gently lowered her leg and carefully turned on her pointes.

Autor couldn't help but think there was something relaxing about the female's dance as they performed chaînés, "But it feels so important…"

"And those emotions are important. Each and every emotion we experience is important, but we can't let any of those emotions hinder the ones we feel now. We experience them and let them past."

"That's right. Who I lost is no longer here, and if I keep on holding on to that love, I'll forget to live my life." Their dance ended in a bow to each other.

Princess Tutu straightened up, a calm smile stretching across her lips, "Th—" She was interrupted by a loud grunt and Autor falling backwards, a dark light leaving him. "Autor!"

She rushed at him, but stopped short when the black light was absorbed into her pendant, a shooting pain pulsing through her body instantaneously. She tried to scream, but she found she couldn't as her body was enveloped in an excruciating pain. It wasn't long before everything around her went black.

* * *

"…_okay?"_

"_Are… okay?"_

"Hey! Are you okay?!"

Ahiru groaned and looked into brown eyes that were dulled by glasses. "I have a headache…"

Autor almost gasped when he stared into sky blue eyes: the same eyes as the ballerina in his dream. Something stirred inside him as he gazed into the clear blue eyes. "Well, that doesn't surprise me. You were laying here on the floor, what happened?"

Images flashed through her head, causing her to look down in panic, she wasn't still transformed was she? Thankfully, she wasn't. Apparently the pain had been enough to cause her to detransform. "I—saw you lying on the ground over there and uh…"

"Oh, that. I really don't have any clue what had happened... But as soon as I woke up I saw you over here. You're Fakir's friend, right?"

Ahiru nodded and unsteadily sat up. "Ahiru. Uhm… where is Fakir?"

"I was just about to go get him when you woke up, Ahiru," he looked at her strangely, and offered her his hand, "We should get you back to Fakir." The girl nodded in agreement and accepted his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. When he let go, she teetered forward, forcing him to grip her arm to stabilize her. "Here, you can lean on me. It's obvious that you're having difficulty walking."

"Ah, that's okay. I'll be fine, really. Ahm… nggh." Ahiru winced when she tried to go off on her own.

"No you won't. Just let me help you, okay?" Autor gripped her hand and slung her arm around his shoulder, then began leading her back to where Fakir was.

Ahiru grimaced at the thought of Fakir seeing her like this, he would be even more intent on figuring out how she became a human. She glanced down at the pendant and gasped, fear filling her body. The once pearlescent gem was now a pale shade of gray.

Autor stopped. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head, "No, just… my head hurts."

Autor pursed his lips and went along, concentrating on getting her back to Fakir. Meanwhile, Ahiru stuffed the light gray stone into her shirt.

"Fakir! I kn—"

"Please, Autor, I'm very busy," He glanced over at the aforementioned man before bolting out of his chair. "Ahiru! What happened?!" He rushed over to replace Autor as her support.

"I'm fine really… I just…"

Autor interjected, not being one to skirt around the matter, "I found her collapsed on the floor a couple rows back."

Fakir looked at Ahiru, searching her eyes urgently, "Don't push yourself so hard, idiot! You nearly drowned a couple of days ago and now you're blacking out!" he glanced over at Autor before saying, "We'll be leaving now. Sorry for the trouble."

"Oh, no problem," Autor dismissed. Fakir looked at him warily, he was acting odd.

"Come on Ahiru, let's get you back home." Fakir had to bend over slightly to accommodate her height as he led her out of the library.

"I can walk on my own…" Ahiru mumbled.

"Oh, please. You're such a klutz you'd probably walk into something and get even more hurt."

"Fakir, you're really blowing this out of proportion!"

Fakir laughed dryly at her, "I'm blowing this out of proportion, huh?" he shrugged his shoulders to reposition her arm, "Just quit complaining and let me help you."

Ahiru stared at his profile with wide eyes, any retorts she had disappearing from mind. "I—alright, Fakir. I trust you."

"Hmph," he stared ahead of them as he made sure to prevent any collisions. "What happened back there, Ahiru?"

She looked back at him, her eyes downcast. "I-I'm not quite sure, honestly." She really didn't know what happened. What was that black light? Her brow furrowed in thought. 'Drosselmeyer didn't say anything about this…' She bit back a groan at the pain reverberating through her heart, 'What did I get myself into?'

"Don't think so hard, you might hurt yourself again."

Ahiru glared up at Fakir for the comment but stopped short when she saw the amusement in his eyes. "Fa…kir?"

His emerald eyes turned away from her aquamarine ones and back to the stone-paved road before them, "Hey, after we get home, I'll make something for you to eat… I didn't exactly give you a chance to eat breakfast this morning." Maybe that was the reason she had passed out? He felt a little guilty for being so brash with her.

Ahiru blushed, "You don't have to, really…"

"Oh, I didn't know Fakir had a girlfriend!"

"What?! Fakir's taken?! Aw, no fair!"

"It can't be too long before they break up, right?"

"Of course they'll break up! Look at her, she's so awkward!"

Fakir scowled at the particularly loud group of so-called "Fakir Girls," earning multiple squeaks from the three of them. He glanced down at Ahiru, who appeared to be completely oblivious to the whole scene. He smiled at her innocence, just as he remembered her. He once again repositioned her arm, though she was slowly coaxing him into letting her support her own weight. Within minutes he settled with simply hooking elbows with her.

"Hey… I—"

"Oh, Fakir! When did you plant these?" Ahiru pulled away from him and went over to a bed of flowers outside of his house.

"Charon planted them last year; they just came back this year."

Ahiru grinned and bent down to sniff one of them. "Mm! They're beautiful, I love flowers, they remind me of Freya—she loved them so much and—" she stopped when her eyes landed on a pair of flowers: one pristine white, the other blood red. Suddenly she was overcome by longing and hatred, her eyes darkening at the sight.

"Ahiru?"

Ahiru smiled again before jumping back to her feet, "They're lovely!"

Fakir shook his head and took a hold of her elbow, "Come on, let's get you inside."

"Eh?! Fakir?"

Fakir opened the door and tugged Ahiru in behind him. He closed the door behind them with a soft 'click.' "Go lay down on the couch."

Ahiru puffed up at his command, "Hey! I'm perfectly alright! I'm walking on my own, aren't I?! I was just… just…"

"Just what? Well? Ahiru, we really can't take any chances when we don't know what's going on here! So just go lay down, moron!"

Ahiru looked down. "Okay," she mumbled.

"I'll go warm up some leftovers, in the mean time stay here."

Ahiru 'hmphed' as she lounged back on the couch, turning her back to him. 'What am I supposed to do? Count the grains in the table? Oh, yeah, that's some fun right there!' she paused when her eyes caught a white gleam from her pendant. 'It's white again!' With cautious fingers Ahiru cupped the stone in her hand and inspected it. 'But… I was certain it was gray back at the library! I know it was! I…' With pursed lips she looked out the window. 'What didn't Drosselmeyer tell me?'

Soft blue eyes became a glaring navy as she looked up towards the clouds. 'I miss Mytho…' she closed her eyes, her fingers curling tightly around the gem, 'Why did he pick Rue? Why?!' The thought paralyzed Ahiru as soon as it came unbidden to her mind, causing her to gasp, 'Where did that come from… I don't… I don't love Mytho anymore.'

"The food is ready."

"I'm coming," Ahiru called as she stood up, pushing her previous thoughts to the back of her mind.

As she walked to the kitchen a pale gray stone once again returned to pure white, unnoticed.

"You don't mind leftovers, right?" Fakir asked as he sat down in a wooden chair across from Ahiru.

Ahiru shook her head, "No, not at all!" she gratefully accepted the food, "Thank you!" no sooner had she bubbled her thanks had she began digging into the meal before her. Fakir shook his head and followed suit—albeit less ravenously.

After a few moments Ahiru set her fork down and looked up at Fakir. She bit her lip before beginning, "Say, Fakir? Are you mad at me?"

Fakir's eyebrow furrowed as he looked up from his plate of food, "What? Why would you think that?"

A blush flooded her cheeks when blue and green met, causing her to look down. She avoided his gaze and drew circles with her finger in the suddenly all-too-intriguing cotton table cloth, "Well, it's just that since I've woken up, you seem on edge and all… Not that that's a bad thing, or anything. 'Cause it really isn't, ya know? I mean, maybe I'm just being stupid, because it's only the right thing to be concerned as to why a duck suddenly became a human and considering my last time as a human, I—" in her panicky ramblings Ahiru had became oblivious to what she was doing, and in a very Ahiru-esque moment her glass of water went toppling down, soaking the cloth instantly.

"Ah! I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked as jumped from her chair and frantically ran around the kitchen looking for a towel. By the time she found one and returned to the table the water had mostly been absorbed into the white cotton. "Er… I uh! I'll get it!" Despite the growing dark spot, she began pressing the towel onto the fabric, trying to get up as much as she could.

"Don't be silly," Fakir finally said, "I'm happy for you." Big, lazurite eyes peered up at him in surprise, to which he added, "I just think you should be more concerned with how you became a human. If another story has started, who knows what could happen. And you'll be in the center of it."

Ahiru diverted her gaze and went back to mopping up the water, this time less vigorously. 'I didn't think that Fakir would get this stressed out over it.' "I'm… sorry."

Fakir stood up, picking up his dishes as he did so, "Don't be, it's just water. Just throw it in the laundry." He seemed to stop to think for a moment before he collected her dishes as well and headed for the sink.

"Oh, right," she looked down at the wet cloth and the yellow towel in her hand. She drew all the corners up to the middle and carried it over to the laundry. Fakir was scrubbing the dishes in the sink when she returned.

Ahiru's cornflower blue eyes became downcast as she leaned back against the wooden wall and worried her bottom lip between her teeth. 'I… can't seem to do anything right anymore… I should've never made that deal with Drosselmeyer. I'm just being selfish,' she glanced up at Fakir through her thick bangs, watching the muscles flow in his back as he scrubbed each plate. 'I think I made my decision too brashly…'

"Ahiru?" Fakir asked, sensing her presence.

Ahiru lifted her head up, "Hm?"

Without turning around Fakir replied, "Are you going to help with the dishes or what?" A small smile stretched across her lips and she nodded before skipping to his side to help.

* * *

_Click. Click. Click._

Drosselmeyer grinned maniacally and watched the duck giggle as she splashed his great grandson with soapy water. "It is all coming together wonderfully, little duck. I knew you'd be the star of my greatest tragedy yet," he laughed.

Uzura watched with wide, curious eyes as Fakir splashed Ahiru back, sharing in her laughter.

* * *

Charon sighed as he stared at the kitchen which was now dripping wet, the occasional pile of suds visible. "I should've known better than to leave you kids alone…"

Ahiru looked down in embarrassment before looking back up at him, her eyes remorseful, "I'll clean it up, it's my fault anyway: I started it."

Charon chuckled and patted her shoulder, "I'm sure Fakir did something to warrant the aggression," to this Fakir interjected but was ignored, "he'll wipe it up, it's not too bad. I need to talk to you in the living room."

"Er… are you sure? I mean… I did make most of the mess," Ahiru looked over at Fakir. He didn't seem upset, which was a good sign.

"Just go talk to him, moron," Fakir lightly pushed her forward.

Charon shook his head at Fakir, "That's no way to talk to a lady, Fakir. Now, this way please, Ahiru." Charon gently led the small girl into the living room and gestured for her to take a seat. "Now, from what I understand, you're an orphan, am I correct?"

Ahiru looked up at him in surprise, her thoughts wildly racing in her mind, 'Am I an orphan? I don't remember ever having parents… Not even as a duck…' after a couple of seconds Ahiru nodded her head. "Yes…"

Charon strummed his fingers gently on the couch arm, "I thought as much: I tried to get information of your origins from Fakir while you were sick so I could notify your parents, but he didn't say anything."

Ahiru stared down at her hands and nodded again, 'I never even thought about it…'

"Well, I simply will not have a young girl such as yourself wandering the streets. Do you have a guardian?" Charon asked empathetically. Ahiru shook her head. "Alright, in which case, I insist that you stay here. We have an extra room that I can clear out and put a bed in for you to stay. Would that be alright?"

The duck looked up at him with wide eyes, "Wh-what, really? I… I couldn't impose!"

Charon shook his head, "No, not at all. I insist that you stay. It's not the kind of world where a young girl can live on the streets. Plus, it's not often I get to see Fakir with a friend."

"Alright… if you're sure…" Ahiru relented, seeing that she wouldn't change the aging man's mind.

"Of course I'm sure!" Charon grinned, "Naturally, we'll have to buy you some more clothes, and a mattress. You can stay in Fakir's room until we get your room done, he can sleep out here..."

Ahiru blinked in surprise and smiled as she listened to Charon enthusiastically describe everything that needed to be done in order for her stay. Well, at least he seemed to want her around.

"You don't mind helping out around the house then?" Charon finally asked.

She shook her head, "Not at all."

"What're you two talking about?" Fakir asked when he entered the living room.

Charon turned towards his son and patted his back, "I need you to take Ahiru to the market tomorrow to buy her some clothes."

The knight's eyebrows knit together, "What for?"

"For her to wear, Fakir! Ahiru will be staying with us until she is old enough to take care of herself."

A strange look entered Fakir's eyes for a second before he shrugged. "I should've known that this is what you were up to."

"Well, if you don't want me to stay," Ahiru crinkled her nose and her voice took on a slightly offended tone.

"I'm just worried the house will blow up," Fakir shot back.

Indignantly Ahiru replied, "Yeah, because of you!"

"I'm not the stupid one!"

"You are too!"

Charon sweat dropped as the two fought and laughed, "Well, no more dull days around here at least…"

* * *

"Alright well, goodnight, Moron." Fakir muttered as he shut the door, leaving Ahiru alone in his bedroom. She puckered her lips in annoyance, but let it fade as she stripped out of her clothing and pulled on one of his old shirts.

"Hm… it smells like him…" her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed in realization as she dropped the collar of his shirt from her nose and flailed her arms, "Not that I know what he smells like! Not at all! Ha ha… ha... ehh… I really need to stop talking to myself…"

"_How does it feel being a human again, little Ahiru?_" maniacal red eyes replaced the wall and the rest of Fakir's room faded into a hazy black.

"Drosselmeyer!" an invisible wind rustled her hair and clothing as she turned to face the giant eyes.

Laughter reverberated throughout the air as he replied, "_Why, yes, that is my name. Don't go wearing it out, now!_"

"What was that black light? And why did the pendant turn gray?!"

"_You're catching on a lot faster than I thought you would._" Drosselmeyer smiled maliciously, "_All is to be revealed in due time._"

"I want answers now!" Ahiru stomped her foot and glared up at the apparition. "What is going on?! What haven't you told me?!"

Drosselmeyer faked hurt, _"I came to check on how you were doing, and all you can do is demand things from me? How selfish…_"

Ahiru frowned, "Don't make me out to be the bad guy."

"_Of course you aren't, little duck. I have a much better part for you in this story._"

"What?! _Story_! I'm so stupid, Fakir was right!" her fists shook with the strain and her fingernails dug into her skin as she bit her lip.

Drosselmeyer grinned, "_Oops, I said too much._" He laughed once again and it faded along with the darkness surrounding her, _"I'll be watching you, Ahiru..."_

Ahiru looked around frantically, everything was back to normal. Drosselmeyer had left and gave only one clue as to what was going on. Ahiru fell to the ground. "I'm so stupid! How? It was so obvious, had he not told me it would be a tragedy from the beginning? How _ignorant _can I be? Why do I always make such a mess out of everything?" she rubbed at her eyes furiously, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall over, 'I'm so sorry Fakir, I keep on failing you…'

A few moments passed before she was able to regain her composure. She sluggishly pulled herself from the ground and slipped into Fakir's old shirt. She glanced in the mirror, eyes boring into her reflection before dropping to the pendant around her neck. With a sigh she turned away and plopped down under the covers. She blew out the candle next to Fakir's bed and allowed herself to drift into a deep, dreamless sleep.

'_I need to make things right before… before the end.'_

* * *

"Hey! Ahiru! Would you wake up already?" Fakir knocked loudly on the door, trying for the tenth time to draw the girl out of bed. "I'm not going to wait all day for you!"

Ahiru moaned and turned over, her blankets falling off of the bed. "Just five more minutes…"

"No! You said that an hour ago! Get up already, idiot!"

"Alright, alright… jerk," Ahiru scrunched her face up as she pulled herself off of the bed. She quickly pulled her clothes back on after throwing Fakir's shirt on the bed. "What's the hurry, anyway?"

Fakir rolled his eyes on the other side of the door, "We're supposed to get you new clothes, moron. Let me guess, you already forgot."

Ahiru swiftly opened the door, accidentally hitting Fakir square on the nose, "Oh! Sorry, Fakir! I didn't realize you were right in front of the door…" she sweat dropped and leaned forward to check the battered appendage, "It's not bleeding, I don't think…"

Fakir's eye twitched, "Well, that's good to know."

She scratched the back of her head, "So, we're going to buy clothes, right?"

"Indeed."

"Erm… so, let's go!" Ahiru hurried down the stairs eager to avoid any rants that Fakir was certainly prepared to bombard her with for the door to his face.

"Slow down, you're going to hurt yourself again." Fakir managed to catch up with her at the bottom of the stairs.

The petite girl stuck her tongue out at him, "Not too long ago you had said that I'd hurt myself by simply walking."

"And running increases those chances tenfold," Fakir returned. He grabbed her braid and proceeded to pull her towards the door.

"Hey! I thought you didn't want me to get hurt! For your information, hair pulling _hurts_!" she shouted until he let go of her hair.

Jade colored eyes scanned her figure for a moment before looking out towards the town around them, "So, where to?"

Ahiru mused for a second, "Well… I never actually went shopping before," she pressed her two forefingers together in thought, "Why don't we just browse, I'm sure I could find something." Fakir shrugged and began walking into the street. "Hey! Wait for me!" she squeaked and ran after him.

"How about here?" Ahiru asked while stopping in front of a small stand. "These look nice…" she looked at the neatly folded clothing on the oak counter.

"They're a real deal too, dearie!" an energetic woman greeted the two and gestured towards the rainbow of clothes before them, "Every color possible, you'll surely find one to match your complexion!"

Ahiru grinned, enjoying the woman's energy as she fingered a light blue shirt. "Did you make all of these?"

The woman's smile was from ear to ear, "Why, yes! They're of the finest craftsmanship you'll find! Even better than the tailor, if I may boast!" Ahiru laughed, finding the woman's personality entirely congenial. The woman looked from Ahiru to Fakir then clapped her hands together, "How sweet! Your boyfriend is taking you shopping! If only my husband were so kind!"

Ahiru and Fakir's faces instantly flushed as they quickly denied the woman's accusation, "No, no, not at all! We're just… like—"

"—Cousins!" Fakir finished for the flailing duck, though he was fairing none better.

The woman frowned, "No need to hide it, dears... Oh well, what do you think?"

Fakir grabbed the two shirts that Ahiru held and thrust them towards the woman, "We'll take these, thanks."

With the prospect of a sale, the jovial female's countenance immediately uplifted, "Wonderful, I'll ring these up for you!"

Ahiru stifled a laugh at Fakir's expression and proceeded to glance around the area. There were many peddlers on the sides of the streets, though mostly of the grocer variety. There were a handful of trinket shops, and a few clothing stands, though most of them contained more extravagant apparel.

"Alright, where to next?" Fakir asked. A brown bag now hung from his right hand.

"Where do you usually shop?" Ahiru looked up at him in question.

Fakir shook his head, "I don't normally shop for clothes, moron."

"Hey! I was just asking a question! No need to get all snappy!"

The rest of the morning went fairly similar to the first purchase, but when all was said and done they were able to find Ahiru five complete outfits: A respectable purchase, by any means. Naturally, at one point Fakir was sent off to buy some drinks while Ahiru perused a shop specializing in undergarments, which afterwards ended their excursion.

The duck grinned merrily and hummed a small tune while she sipped some of the lemonade that Fakir got her, "Is that everything, then? You don't need any groceries, right?"

Fakir looked at her from the corner of his eye and nodded, "Charon normally shops for groceries."

"I'll make dinner then!" Ahiru offered.

Fakir blanched, "That's… that's okay. Really." He was not about to forget the last time Ahiru cooked something.

Ahiru frowned, "But, I want to repay you for the clothes!"

"Then why would you want to poison us?"

"Hey!" Ahiru glared at him and stuck her tongue out.

"That's not very becoming of a fifteen year old; you should start acting more like an adult."

The girl 'hmph'ed and crossed her arms, "And this is coming from the _nineteen_ year old who still calls me childish names like "moron" and "idiot"."

"Maybe if you didn't act like a five year old I wouldn't have to dumb everything down for you."

"Jerk!"

"Moron." Fakir turned his head to hide the smile that was forming on his lips, he had missed their arguments. "Alright, go put these up stairs and I'll make lunch." He handed the brown bags to her.

Ahiru scrunched her nose up at him and took the bags from him, "Fine." She turned on her heel and padded up the stairs, a soft smile on her face.

* * *

Rusty, brown cogs turned, in turn causing the ones connected to them to move. Delicately balancing on one, shifting from foot to foot on each spoke as it turned was an old man with fleur de lis-esque facial hair and lavish clothing. Rumbling laughter filled the air, mingling with the clicking sounds of the cogs surrounding him. Distantly, another sound joined the others and slowly grew louder as a small figure approached.

"Ducky Knighty wuvy lovey! Love love-zura!" a tiny girl with sea foam green hair rapped her drum with a grin.

The man jumped down from his turning perch and landed before the reborn puppet, "The story is in motion once again, Uzura. What do you think?"

"Ahiru and Fakir are luv-luv-zura!" Uzura proceeded to tap on her toy with a wide grin.

Drosselmeyer frowned at this and turned, stroking his beard, "Yes… this is a problem. Their relationship does seem to be developing especially fast," he whipped around to face the ecstatic child again, "We'll just have to put a little… wedge in that, won't we?" a malicious smirk stretched across his face. He eyed the gear showing Ahiru carefully setting the table while Fakir stood in the background heating up leftovers from their previous dinner. "Little duck, you have proven to be a most… interesting character. I looked forward to your performance."

Uzura watched the scene before her as well, with a different intent. A large smile brightened her face up. 'Ahiru's lovey-dovey!'

"This will be my greatest tragedy yet, enjoy your happiness while it lasts, Ahiru."

* * *

A/N: Alright! An update! Sorry about the wait. Really, I can't say the next wait won't be as long. I wanted to post a chapter to let everyone know that I am definitely working on this story and developing its plot, but foremost I need to finish my first story. There's only a few chapters left in it and after it's done, my attention will redirect to this story. So, sorry about the wait and all, but the rabid fan girls from RotH have waited far longer.

Also, to answer some questions that I imagine will pop up:

First of all, yes, it was my intention that Ahiru would not know that Drosselmeyer had started a new story. It was blatantly obvious from the beginning, but Ahiru is the type of person—in my opinion—who would refuse to see ulterior motives of others; especially in the case that she was being given the chance to be human again. I see it as her way of mentally coping with what she was doing. It is easier for her to look past the obvious so she could have what she truly desired. She subconsciously ignored the Drosselmeyer's clear intentions and let herself assume that he was simply trying to somehow make his former characters unhappy.

Now, if you're noticing the trend that Fakir always heats up _leftovers_ instead of actually making something, it's because I find Fakir the kind of character that would be competent in the kitchen, but not enough so that he could make something beyond a sandwich on his own.

Also, about Autor. The feelings he describes should be pretty obvious to those who actually watched the entire series, and what, or who, caused them. His reactions towards Ahiru are simply his emotions trying to fill the newfound gap. As for what happened, well, to quote Drosselmeyer: "All in due time."

Lastly, thank you all so much for reading, and please review; give your critiques, share your thoughts, and all that jazz. I look forward to them! Since it has been a long wait, and will continue to be until I finish my other story, I leave you with this: a deleted scene from this chapter.

* * *

"Come here, child!" a small old lady called from the side of the street, "I have the perfect thing for you."

Ahiru turned her head in interest and approached the stand that the old woman was tending, Fakir following her. "What are you selling, ma'am?"

A wrinkled, decrepit hand offered forth a folded piece of clothing, "Dresses, dear. This one should be your size."

The duck blinked in wonder and gently accepted the dress, letting it unfold in her hands. Before her waving gently in the wind was a beautiful emerald dress trimmed with radiant sliver silk.

"Oh, Fakir, look at it!" Ahiru cried, turning to show him the extravagant cloth.

Fakir scanned it for a split second before his cheeks flushed; it was a gorgeous dress indeed—a gorgeous _short_ dress with a low neckline, no back, and a _very_ short hem that undoubtedly wouldn't go past her hips. What Ahiru held in her hands was a _slip_. "I don't think that's the kind of clothing we should be looking for, Ahiru…"

Ahiru pursed her lips, but gave the dress back to the woman anyway, an apologetic smile softening her features.

* * *

Yes, that was mini fan service from the shopping scene. I originally wrote it to help relieve some writer's block, but liked it. So, consider it an extra. Well, now that you've read... review please!


	3. Lucid Disillusionments

_Once upon a time, there was a girl in love with a prince. However, the girl was too lowly for the prince to ever notice her. In desperation for the prince's love, the girl proclaimed that she would give anything if the prince would only love her. The next day the prince proposed to her, but she found herself unmoved by his proposal. She discovered that in order to earn his love, she had given away the feelings she had for him._

Fakir squinted slightly as he tried to find his way through the thick fog that choked the air. He sighed in relief when he was finally able to make out the shape of the lake. Beside it stood a svelte figure, the long feather-like strand that stuck stubbornly up giving away its identity.

"Ahiru!" he paused before he ran towards her; her erect figure and distant eyes making her look older. He shook his thoughts then hurried over to her.

Without looking at the knight she greeted him, "Fakir."

"Ahiru, what's wrong?" he was concerned by the lack of her normally upbeat countenance.

Suddenly, she turned towards him, her features returning to their usual youthful appearance, "Fakir," she grabbed both of his hands between her own, "don't be silly! I'm perfectly alright!" her cornflower blue eyes softened as she smiled. "I have you to protect me, right?"

Fakir's cheeks flushed, but he nodded. "O-of course." Somehow he found himself leaning forward slightly.

For a second Ahiru seemed to hesitate, but smiled, "Thank you." With the last uttered syllable her pupils bleed into her iris, turning her entire eye black as she fell from his grasp and into the lake behind her.

* * *

"AHIRU!" Fakir gasped and sprang up from his pillows, a cold sweat coating his torso. He breathed heavily for a moment before letting himself fall back onto the couch. 'Damn it. I need to find out what's going on before she gets hurt. Never again…'

* * *

Ahiru woke with a start, her blue eyes wide and her pupils dilated. Her mouth hung open in a silent scream as she wildly clawed at the air in front of her, trying to catch a fantasy that had already faded. Slowly, her eyes came into focus; the familiar surroundings of Fakir's room instantly calming her. Her arms fell to her sides, bouncing just slightly from the impact on the mattress. She closed her eyes, and carefully opened them again. After repeating the motion a few times, her shoulders fell back in relief.

Sunlight filtered into the room through Fakir's plain white curtains, indicating it was fairly early. The duck rubbed her eyes before turning and setting her feet on the hardwood floor. Salmon locks shone in the natural lighting, emphasizing every snarl, mat, and knot that was the product of her restless night. Warily, she stood and walked—albeit clumsily—to the dresser where a slightly rusted platter held a couple brushes. Groggily, Ahiru studied her choices; not yet conscious enough to figure out which one she needed. After a few moments of debate, her thin fingers curled around one of them before she padded back to the bed.

It was out of force of habit that her fingers could move so quickly and with little stumbling as she gently brushed out the tangles in her wavy strands. Once she was satisfied with her work, she fumbled through braiding her hair before she proceeded to dress.

A week and a half had passed since Charon had made the decision that Ahiru would become a permanent resident of his house. Since then, many of his hours at home were spent preparing her room—despite her protests. He insisted that he make her room more accommodating before she moved to it; the "more accommodating" being in the form of hand carved bed frames and dressers. Today was supposed to be the last day she commandeered Fakir's bedroom.

The girl sighed as she flicked her stubborn hairs that stood straight up, "Well, best to start the day bright and early." She put the brush back on the platter, another gift from Charon to make her feel more comfortable, before heading downstairs.

"Ah! Ahiru, you're up early," Charon greeted her with a grin, "Your room is almost finished, I just need to add one more touch, so don't go in there until tonight." His eyes danced in excitement.

Ahiru smiled back at him, "You really don't need to go through all of this trouble. I would be happy with just a bed."

Charon shook his head as he turned back to the food he was making, "I'm more than happy to." He paused for a second before adding, "If you're uncomfortable with it being for you, then consider part of it for Fakir."

The girl blinked, staring at the older man's back in confusion, "…Fakir?"

"With you around, Fakir seems _happier_. Part of the reason I'm desperate to have you stay is for him."

The corners of Ahiru's mouth turned upwards, "Alright. For him." She bit her lip before glancing around the kitchen. "Would you mind if I went out later today?"

"Not at all! What did you have planned?"

Blood flooded in her cheeks as she fingered the hem of her skirt, "Well, I er… That is—bird seed!"

A voluminous chuckle rumbled in Charon's throat at the girl's antics. "Whatever you want, Ahiru. No need to be so flustered about it."

The duck's cheeks darkened as she turned her attention towards the floor, "I should… I'll start the laundry." She paused at the door jamb, glancing over her shoulder, "Thanks, Charon."

"No problem, kiddo."

Within the second day that Ahiru was granted residence in Charon's house, the girl insisted that she did the laundry and the cleaning. Charon seemed reluctant to have her do so much, but relented upon seeing Ahiru's resolve was steeled. Since then she made rounds every morning to collect the laundry and washed it before breakfast. She insisted that this way they had all day to dry out, giving her more time to clean the house. Of course Fakir scoffed at her tendencies to over work herself—a rainstorm proving her inabilities to do so much when she forgot to bring the laundry back in. After which, it was decided Ahiru would yield the kitchen to the men in the house.

A soft smile curled the ends of her lips upwards as Ahiru grabbed the dark brown wicker basket she used to gather the dirty articles. It was nice to feel wanted, something Ahiru wasn't all too familiar with. The feeling alone was enough to make the work seem enjoyable. With a slight spring to her step, Ahiru made her rounds before heading out to the backyard.

"Time to get this finished!" Ahiru nodded in determination as she rolled her sleeves up higher and grabbed the first article of clothing.

"_You disgust me, Ahiru."_

With a sharp gasp, the shirt in her hands fell into the tub of water, her eyes wide.

"_You're a duck, not a human. Stop pretending."_

"But I—I…"

"Ahiru?"

Ahiru jumped in surprise, flailing wildly when she lost her balance. Before she hit the ground two arms steadied her. "Fakir?"

He shook his head, "I should have known doing the laundry would be hazardous to your health—Or perhaps _you're_ the hazard."

"Hmph! You could just say 'thanks', jerk." She stuck her tongue out at him before going back to concentrating on the shirt that was now waterlogged.

A grin stretched across his face before he began, "I figured you'd be out here. Charon's done with breakfast."

She frowned as she swiftly rubbed the shirt against the board, "I haven't finished the laundry yet." Once satisfied with her job she rinsed the cloth and wrung it out.

Fakir took the shirt from her before she could get up and hung it up, "I figured you'd say that. There's something else I wanted to talk about."

"Oh?" Ahiru's brow furrowed as she looked away from the pants she was washing and up at him.

"I talked to the administrator at Kinkan Academy. You can start taking ballet again—next week."

Ahiru's eyes lit up as she dropped what she was doing and threw herself at him. "Oh! Thank you Fakir! Thank you, thank you!"

Fakir's cheeks flushed bright red, but he eventually returned the hug—only to have Ahiru rip herself from his arms and dance around the area. He couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle she made of herself.

"I'll get to see Lilie and Pique and—well, I suppose that Neko-sensei won't be there anymore," Fakir confirmed this with a slight nod, "But I get to see all of my friends again! I can't wait!"

The writer laughed, satisfied with her reaction to the news and bent down to pick up the pants she was washing, "Charon is waiting for us, you know. I'll help you finish the laundry."

With a wide grin Ahiru accepted his help and knelt back down to hurry through the laundry.

* * *

Ahiru pulled her hair back tightly in a bun before covering it with a scarf. A spark shone in her eye as she squeezed the large sponge in her hands before bending over and breathing in deeply. As soon as she exhaled she launched herself forward, running in a crouch with the sponge pressed against the smooth, hardwood flood. Naturally, it was only a matter of time before the girl ran into something—rather, someone.

"Perhaps you should look where you're going, idiot."

"Hey! You weren't there when I started!" Ahiru objected as she struggled to get back on her feet.

Fakir sighed and gently pulled her up. "I'm supposed to help Charon today at the smithy… he said you were planning on going out today, correct?"

Ahiru nodded, "Yeah, after I finish washing the floors and dusting."

"Can that wait until after? If we leave now we should be able to get back with enough time for me to go."

Ahiru frowned, "I don't need you to escort me to town. I'm perfectly capable of going on my own. I did fine on my own before."

Fakir groaned, "Don't be so difficult, you're my responsibility now and—"

"I'm _fifteen, _Fakir; I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself—_and_ Charon already gave me money so you can't use that excuse." She pulled the crumpled bills out of her pocket for effect.

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" he sighed, "A lot has changed in the past two years—and after your particularly vivid display of grace a few moments ago—"

"Fakir!" Ahiru pursed her lips as she started pushing him towards the door, "I can take care of myself! Now go!"

The knight finally gave in and turned around, "Alright, but if you get lost, don't come crying to me."

The duck snorted and slammed the door on his back, earning muffled exclamations from the other side. "Hmph! That'll teach him!" she said with a nod before turning around. "Well… back to work I suppose. Got to make the floor sparkle!" she giggled and picked up the sponge.

* * *

Washing the floors went fairly quickly—now that all mobile objects were removed from the household. After thoroughly mopping the floor she went about dusting the furniture—her feet firmly placed on two rags. Once she was satisfied that everything was well dusted she quickly polished the wood furniture.

"Perfect!" Ahiru grinned widely and stepped off of the rags. "Now…" she murmured softly to herself as she picked up the rags and discarded them in the brown wicker basket. She did a quick survey of her work before heading towards Fakir's room. "I should probably change," she crinkled her nose, "I'm pretty dirty."

Once content with her clothing she grinned and did a quick twirl in the middle of the room before running down the stairs. "Alright, bird seed time!"

It was a nice day out, the sky was a perfect azure with only a few fluff-like clouds dotting it and the townspeople seemed absolutely delightful. The cobblestone streets were a nice, slate color and children scurried across it, chasing after one another while adults watched on in amusement. Ahiru smiled as her eyes followed the movements of a young boy helping his younger sister across the street. 'Everyone is so happy! It's like the story never even happened.' Not a single being was out of place—humans walked on two feet and animals on all fours.

It wasn't long before Ahiru found her way back to the small shop she normally purchased her bird seed from; the small store hadn't changed at all—other than the wall climbing ivy had grown more and was now covering part of the roof as well. Her wide, blue eyes filled with wonder as she opened the door and stepped inside; a small bell ringing as the door eased shut.

"Can I help you, Miss?" a small old man asked from behind the counter.

Ahiru beamed at him, recognizing him instantly as the owner. He, like his shop, hadn't changed much either—save for his ever-thinning hair. "I'm here to purchase some bird seed, sir."

The man's dull eyes lit up as he straightened his back the slightest bit, "What size would you like, Miss?"

"Large, if you don't mind," she paused before adding, "I'll get it, sir, you can stay there."

He laughed and fiddled with his wooden cane, "You know how to treat an elderly man, that's for sure."

After a few minutes of trying to heave the bag over her shoulder, the poppy haired girl finally got the bag to the counter. "Is this enough?" she asked while handing him the crumpled currency from her pocket.

"To the dot." He grinned and accepted the money then handed her the receipt, "Thank you for your business."

"I couldn't imagine buying bird seed anywhere else. Have a nice day!" Ahiru once again took to half carrying, half dragging the large bag out of the small store.

"You too, Miss."

Ahiru sighed heavily as she continued pulling the bag through town; it was as heavy as she remembered it being—and she received as many bewildered stares as before, too.

"Aw, how adorable! Won't she look cute in this?" a familiar, shrill voice rang out through the air.

A slightly raspy voice answered her, "Yeah! He'll ask her out for sure if she wears this!" Ahiru couldn't help but look over in curiosity, her cornflower blue eyes scanning over the square she was in.

Over in the far corner, in front of a dress shop were two girls, both wearing a Kinkan Academy uniform. The taller of the two, of whom the raspier voice belonged to, was a slim girl with short magenta hair pulled back tightly in a bun—save for a few strands framing the left side of her face. Her features were sharp and angular—almost exotic. The shorter of the two was a girl with a small frame and wavy blonde hair held up with two pink ribbons. In a split second, Ahiru was able to recognize them: Pique and Lilie. Other than Lilie's new found curves and Pique's slightly darker hair, they were just as Ahiru remembered them.

The corners of her mouth curled upwards slightly as she raised one of her hands in greeting as she started to shout, "Pique! Li—"

"—lie!" A figure flashed past her, finishing her sentence for her, "Hey!"

The two females by the store turned around, "There she is! As late as always, how cute!"

A girl who looked to be sixteen approached the others, a sheepish expression on her face as she scratched the back of her head. She had cerulean hair cropped in a neat boy-cut and pale skin dotted with honey colored freckles. "Eh heh. Sorry, guys."

"Detained after class again, Lory?" Pique asked with a knowing grin.

"Naturally!" Lilie fawned as she wrapped the girl in a tight hug, "Our little Lory couldn't dance right to save her life! Aw, how cute!"

Ahiru watched in melancholy, a sense of déjà vu falling over her as she watched the blue-headed girl flail her arms in desperation for oxygen. Of course she had been replaced, to Pique and Lilie she had never even existed. What right did Ahiru have to intrude on their happiness? She swallowed, trying to push the lump in her throat back down as she held back tears of dejection and once again gripped the heavy bag of seed in her hands.

'They look so cheerful,' Ahiru mused, 'They're genuinely happy. And I… I couldn't. Even if they did take me back as their friend… they have Lory and… If they get attached to me again, only to have me die in a year—I'm being selfish. I can't just come and leave again, it's bad enough I'm doing it to Fakir.' She sighed, 'I have to stay away from them, for their sakes.'

"Ahiru?" a deep voice shook Ahiru from her thoughts, making her jump in surprise.

"Eh! W-What?!" she whirled around, bumping right into someone's chest; the impact throwing her off balance and to the ground. "Oh!"

The male offered his hand to her and helped pull her back up, "Careful. Do you need some help?"

Ahiru blinked in surprise as she steadied herself, "I suppose I… do—sorta… need help. Oh, Autor!"

Autor nodded slightly before shouldering the bag entirely, "Where do you live?"

"Er… at Fakir's house," she offered. Her cheeks turned a brilliant red when she realized how scandalous the arrangement sounded. "I-er… I didn't have anywhere else to go so… Charon offered me a room…" her voice faded off in embarrassment as she looked down at her feet and took to counting every crack she stepped over as they walked.

The pianist didn't comment on her dwellings, his only acknowledgment being an arched eyebrow. "So, what do you do for a living, Ahiru?"

"Hm?" Ahiru was genuinely surprised, no one had ever asked her such a question, "I'm… sort of a live in maid I guess… Well, I only do laundry and clean the living room and hallway but—" she cut off abruptly, not knowing how to answer him.

"You look rather young, don't you go to school?" The sunlight glinting off of his glasses blocked Ahiru's view of his eyes, making her uncomfortable.

"I used to go to Kinkan Academy for ballet—but I had to drop out due to some… issues. How about you? You play piano, right?"

To this, Autor looked down at her, "Yes, actually. During the day I work in the library, but in the evening I play piano at a restaurant."

The girl grinned up at him, "That sounds so fun! I wish I could play piano well… or do anything well, for that matter… Don't you just love the sound of music?"

The librarian looked at her oddly before turning his attention back to the sidewalk, "I believe we're here."

"Oh! Thank you for your help, Autor. It would've taken me forever to—"

"Ahiru?" Fakir's voice cut her off as the green haired boy appeared from inside the house, "What took you—Autor." His voice filled with surprise when he said the other male's name.

Autor inclined his head ever so slightly before gesturing towards the bag on his shoulder, "I was merely offering my assistance. I'm surprised you sent her on such a bodily errand, Fakir."

Fakir frowned and glared stonily at him, "Thank you for helping her. I'll take it from here."

Autor shrugged and tossed the bag to Fakir, its weight making the knight stagger back slightly as he caught it. "You're welcome," he dismissed, "Good day."

Ahiru blinked and watched as Autor disappeared around the corner before Fakir began lecturing her, "Ahiru! I told you not to overdo it! You should have gone with me earlier if you were going to have so much trouble!"

"I didn't think it would be as heavy as it was before!"

"Don't be so stubborn, idiot! Now come on, Charon's already made dinner." He turned around sharply, the bag of bird seed resting on his shoulder, and led her into the house. "Go on in," he instructed as he gestured towards the kitchen, "I'll go put this in your room."

She 'hmph'ed and spun on her heel before marching into the kitchen. Her anger flared when Fakir let out a low chuckle.

"Ahiru! There you are!" Charon greeted from the table. He had already started eating from the looks of it. He grinned and gestured towards the seat opposite of him, "Fakir was pacing the room waiting for you," he laughed.

"Oh. He knew where I was…" the girl murmured as she sat down, her anger dissipating.

Charon guffawed as he set his fork down, "It was all I could do to keep him from going to get you!" He looked back at her, a bright twinkle gleaming in his deep eyes, "I'll admit, I was getting sort of anxious myself—I can hardly wait until after dinner."

Ahiru glanced at him while she shoveled out some mashed potatoes onto her plate, "Why's that?" A bright smile stretched across her face, Charon's own excitement being contagious.

He put on a mock disappointed face, "Have you already forgotten? Today's the grand unveiling of your room!"

Ahiru blushed as she looked back at her plate, she had forgotten—between Fakir's announcement that morning, cleaning, her trip to buy bird seed, and running into Pique and Lilie then Autor, she had completely forgotten today's importance. "How could I forget _that_?" she asked, perhaps a little too quickly.

Fakir held back a grin as he sat down in the chair next to her, "Don't mind her, Charon. Her brain can't retain too much information, or it'll implode."

"Hey!" Ahiru objected indignantly, "It will not implode! Stop being so mean, Fakir!" she indulged in her childish habit of sticking her tongue out at him. This seemed to amuse him even more. "Hmph!" she frowned and glared at her plate, refusing to make eye contact with him.

Charon sighed in exasperation, "You two…" he shook his head. That was the last thing that was said during dinner, the rest of which was eaten in a moderate silence.

As soon as Charon finished eating and began washing dishes the air took on a tense, anxious energy, making Ahiru antsy as she tried to eat quicker. The tension snapped as soon as Ahiru put her fork and knife down.

Charon spun around with a large grin plastered across his face, "Let's go see your room, eh?" He helped her up gently and led her down the hall and up the stairs, Fakir following closely behind.

"C-Charon! My dishes!" the girl gasped in surprise when they stopped in front of a closed door.

Laughter bubbled in his throat as he patted her back, "Don't worry, they can wait. Okay, close your eyes."

Ahiru did as she was told and breathed softly. A metallic click sounded and a slight wave of air blew past the girl, rustling her hair. Charon's rough hands carefully pushed her forward before he stopped her. "Okay, open them." She could almost feel his excitement seeping from him.

Soft blue pools fluttered open, the sight they beheld causing the girl to gasp. "Oh! Charon… it's…" Tears welled in her eyes as she took in her surroundings.

The room's wood paneling was a freshly stained dark cherry, creating a deep contrast with the pale yellow and blue tones that decorated the room. A bed jutted out to the middle of the room from the right wall; a yellow comforter trimmed with blue lace adorned it. The head board was also stained a deep cherry and had lovely hand carvings of roses. Next to it was a glass nightstand framed with black metal—undoubtedly fashioned in Charon's smithy. Across from the bed, on the opposite wall, sat a small desk and next to it was a short, fat dresser with her brush set already placed atop it. On the far wall there was a wide window framed by a window seat and light blue curtains, under which sat a large bag of bird seed.

"…Beautiful!" her eyes were wide and glassy when she turned to Charon and wrapped her arms around him, "Thank you so much! I love it! You really shouldn't have gone through all the trouble!"

"Nonsense, Ahiru. You live here now." He scratched the back of his head slightly, "Granted, I'm not familiar with feminine touches, so I hope I didn't make it too… masculine."

Ahiru beamed up at him, "It's perfect! I could never in a million years even be able to pay you back for all your kindness."

"Just be happy. That's more than enough."

Ahiru blinked, flabbergasted, before she blanched entirely. 'Be happy… They're… he's expecting me to live here for a while… This isn't fair to them, they went through all this trouble and I'm going to disappear in a year. No, he wants me to be happy, and I will!' She forced herself to smile again and stepped away to twirl in the center of the room, "This is way better than the room I had at the Academy! Thank you so much!"

Charon nodded, "You're more than welcome." He sighed, "I ought to finish cleaning up after dinner… I'll leave you to get more comfortable."

"Are you sure you don't need any help?"

Charon waved her off as he turned around, "Enjoy your gift. I've been washing dishes for nearly fifty years now; I think I'll make do."

The girl faced Fakir and stared at him for a second before starting, "Thank you, too, Fakir."

He huffed, "Whatever." He began leaving when Ahiru gripped his sleeve.

Her face colored in discomfiture, she had acted without thinking… again. "Er… Aren't you going to… give me a tour?"

His eyebrows knit together as he studied her expression before shrugging, "Alright." He pointed to the bed, "That's your bed, you sleep in it." He pointed to the opposite wall, "That's your desk, and that's your dresser. Your clothes are already in there."

Ahiru frowned in annoyance, "Fakir, you know what I meant!"

His eyes gleamed mockingly, "There's nothing to the room that you can't see, Ahiru—I'm sure even a moron like you wouldn't get lost in here."

The small teen looked away from the taller, her eyebrows pressing together as she tried to bite back the feelings of rejection. Her embarrassment had increased with every word, and she couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"I could… _hang out, _though." He let his shoulders raise and fall apathetically.

She turned her back to him, trying to hide the smile that stretched across her lips and crossed her arms, "If you're sure you don't have more important things than to _waste_ your time with me."

The writer rolled his eyes, "Stop being difficult, moron."

Salmon locks fell over her shoulder as she looked back at him, her lips puckered slightly in mock hurt, "You're cruel."

It felt as though the wind was knocked out of him as he regarded Ahiru; the expression on her face could be described as nothing short of sultry. "U-uhm, well… what do you… want to—What do you want to talk about?"

She flashed him a toothy grin before flopping on her bed, "I honestly haven't thought that far ahead… Eh heh, but I figured that you'd have something to talk about—it's not the first time I've been wrong, right? Oh! But maybe you do have something to talk about, I guess I never really gave you a chance to talk and… I'm… shutting up now…"

Fakir shook his head while he reached behind him and pulled the desk chair out, "Actually, I did want to talk to you about going to Kinkan Academy." He threw his leg over the chair and sat down, "I haven't picked up the paper work yet, but we can do that tomorrow. Also, they expect you to take up—" he cut off when he caught her expression. "Ahiru?"

Ahiru clenched her fists in her laps, "Fakir?" she paused to gather her thoughts. "I…I don't want to go back to Kinkan Academy."

His mouth fell upon and time seemed to stand still. Forest green eyes trained on the duck girl's face for what felt like a decade before Fakir was able to form words, "W-what? You… _don't _want to go back to school?"

The feather-like strands that stuck stubbornly up bobbed back and forth as she shook her head, "I just… I don't want to go back."

Fakir gaped at her incredulously, "Ahiru, you _love_ ballet—it's practically your life. And now that you can perform… You. Don't. _Want._ To.?"

She avoided his gaze, "I just… I dunnu, I'm not that good at it anyway, right? I'm just not—" she hid her cringe, "—interested anymore."

Ahiru could feel his gaze penetrating her, it felt as if his eyes were burning into her soul and reading her every secret. Moments passed before he spoke again, "You expect me to believe that nothing is wrong when you're refusing to study ballet? Just this morning you were dancing around in glee."

"So? I had a lot of time to think about it since you first brought it up. I've made my mind up."

His eyebrows knit together as he gawked at her, "What about Pique and Lilie?"

"What about them?!" Ahiru demanded, "It's not like they remember me, right? I'm not letting anyone down with this decision."

"No one but yourself!"

She glared at him then looked away; the more she looked at him, the harder it became to hold back her tears.

He stood abruptly, the chair he was sitting on fell to the floor with loud bang. "Damn it, Ahiru! How am I supposed to help you when you refuse to tell me what's wrong?!" When she continued to evade his gaze, he grunted furiously before turning on his heel and stomping out of the room.

When the door slammed shut behind him, she allowed herself to look up. Once her watery, aqua eyes found the fallen chair, hot, bitter tears fell over her cheeks, her barriers stripped bare of their defense.

"_You disgust me, Ahiru."_

What had Charon asked of her? To be happy? And how wonderfully she was doing at that.

* * *

Drosselmeyer smirked as he viewed the spinning rustic gear, his eyes lighting up in satisfaction. "So what do you think, Uzura? Our story is coming along beautifully, don't you agree?"

The small marionette frowned, "But Fakir and Ahiru aren't being love-love, zura!"

A deep, thundering chuckle filled the emptiness around them, "Ah, but what better way for a tragedy to start then for a girl's heart to be broken?"

The mint haired girl scowled before turning away and marching off while beating her drum angrily.

The author cackled before turning his attention back to the turning apparatus with a satisfied sneer, "Dearest duck, you never fail to make my stories into true masterpieces."

* * *

A/N: First of all HAPPY BIRTHDAY B! I FINISHED IT! YAY! Ahem, sorry. It's my dearest friend StabbityMcStabStab's birthday, so everyone wish her a happy birthday—and thank her for the update, if it weren't for her, you would've gotten this in like five months—at least. So… yeah. Thank her. Also, the seemingly random flashbacks in there were from the dream at that Ahiru woke up from that morning—sorry if that confused anyone. Anyway, thank you for being patient with me, please review! I appreciate everyone's comments very much! Love-love, zura!


	4. Inadequacies

_Once upon a time there was a man who loved his sweetheart with everything he had. He adored her so ardently that he strove to protect her from every hardship the world could offer. However, was it really the world that she needed protection from… or her lover himself?_

* * *

Stormy blue eyes stared at the hardwood floor as Ahiru loosened her grip on the wicker basket full of laundry. It had been raining since the night before and showed no signs of letting up any time soon. Unfortunately, the rain meant none of the laundry could be done, which ultimately took away any excuse she had to get out of the house—to escape the unsettling annoyance and frustration that rolled off of Fakir. So, dejectedly, Ahiru stood in front of the wooden door that separated her from the outside. Her pale face reflected on the large window, marred by the melancholy drops of rain that slid down her reflection like tears.

"**My little Ahiru, how the mighty have fallen!"**

"Drosselmeyer?!" the strangled gasp tore through her lips as her eyes jerked to find the deceased writer.

"**Troubled, are we? Things not going as planned?"**

"I refuse to let this become a tragedy!" the girl replied, letting the laundry basket fall from her grip. Laughter vibrated in the air surrounding her, sending shivers up her spine.

"**Silly little Ahiru, what did you think would happen when you signed your life away?"**

Ahiru frowned, "It won't be a tragedy as long as Fakir and I are happy!" The ominous presence faded from the room as her own words rang mockingly in her mind. Her eyes fell to the dropped basket, trying to push the proclamation from her mind. 'It'll be fixed soon, I'm sure.'

"Ahiru?" a deep, aged voice called out to her from the hall, "What are you doing there?"

She blinked in surprise before turning around, "Oh! Charon! I was… er, going to do the laundry but… it's raining."

He smiled before walking over to her and leading her into the living room, "Come now, why don't you take a break? I'm afraid that if you keep cleaning at the pace you are, the floors will be worn through." With a curt nod he gestured for her to sit across from him. "Now what's wrong? It's obvious from the tension lately that you and Fakir had a fight."

Ahiru sighed and fiddled with the hem of her skirt, "It's that obvious?"

Charon's face reflected slight incredulity, "I know Fakir can be difficult at times, but more than anything he's worried about you. I won't pretend that I know or understand what's going on—nor do I expect you to tell me about it. All I know is that Fakir is happier when you two are bantering; we both know he won't say sorry first," he paused for a second before adding, "even though he probably started it."

"You're right," Ahiru nodded. She breathed for a second before shaking her head, "It was my fault though, I should be saying sorry, anyway." She glanced up at Charon before offering a weak smile, "Sorry for making things difficult."

"Bah!" Charon waved his hand as if he were physically batting the idea away, "Don't be ridiculous, I haven't been so entertained in my life. Goodness, I was just worried that this argument was forestalling my grandchildren!"

The duck cocked her head to the side in question, "Grandchildren?"

With a gawky laugh, the blacksmith scratched the back of his head, not sure whether to be amused or disappointed that she didn't understand his teasing. "Never mind that, I need to head to work for the day." He stood, inclining his head politely, before rustling through the hall closet and pulling out a heavy coat, hat, and goulashes. "Fakir is in his room." Charon added before saying his goodbye.

Ahiru bit her lip and glanced up the stairs; vaguely she could see a faint glow. 'I should explain myself, he's just worried about me. But what do I say?' Ahiru made a cutesy face, 'Fakir, I can't go back to school 'cause I made a deal with Drosselmeyer that'll make me die in a year.' She proceeded to make a face that she imagined to look like Fakir's, 'Idiot.' She sighed, yeah, that'd go well. Regardless, she had to do something—she made this mess, and she wasn't about to let Drosselmeyer win. Gathering up all of her courage she made her way up the stairs and to Fakir's door. With a deep breath she clenched her eyes shut tightly and drew her fist firmly to the door.

A grunt was heard from behind the door along with the scrape of a chair on the floor, "Charon, I told you I will not apologize to her!"

So much for her courage. Ahiru worried her lip again and pressed her forefingers together. This would be an awkward conversation. After a many seconds of silence she considered making a dash for it and hiding in her bedroom for the day; however, her plans never came to fruition when a door opened and interrupted her plotting.

"Charon would you dro—" Fakir stopped short when his eyes landed on Ahiru. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but quickly closed it.

The quiet soon became too crushing for Ahiru and she piped up, "I… er… Well…" she swallowed and began rocking on her feet, "…sorry…"

Fakir raised an eyebrow, before shaking his head and running his hand through his hair, "I don't want an apology, Ahiru."

Her cheeks puffed up as she glared at him, her remorse slowly boiling into anger, "Excuse me?! I came here to make amends, and you refuse to accept them?!"

"Hey!" Fakir shot back, "I'm not refusing anything! All I want is an explanation as to why you don't want to go to the Academy anymore!"

She huffed, "I just don't, okay?!"

"You're going to have to do better than that."

"I don't really see how it's any of your business," she folded her arms in front of her in annoyance.

"It is my business!" He shouted, "God damn it, Ahiru! Why can't you see that?! You always have to do things on your own! Ever since you came back you've been acting like it's no big deal, it is! We don't know who brought you back; what their intentions are! I need to know why you're suddenly vehemently opposed to going to Kinkan Academy when not even ten hours before that you were dancing around in glee! No matter how many times I think it through, I get one answer: you're not telling me something—how can I help you when you won't talk to me?!"

Ahiru jerked back from him as if he had struck her, though his words had done quite well to that effect. Her eyes watered at the fair accusation as she clenched her fists, refusing to look at him. Despite the searing truth to his words Ahiru couldn't seem to back down as she fought to keep her voice from cracking, "Why can't you just be happy that I'm human again? Why do the 'whys' and 'hows' have to be so important to you? I'm a girl again, right?" She cursed herself as the tears began spilling over her cheeks; she hated being such a crybaby. "It could be worse: I could still be a miserable duck, with no friends, floating alone on that God forsaken lake!" Afraid of what he might say, she spun on her heel and fled.

"Ahiru!" she could distantly hear his calling after her, even though she was barely down the staircase. Her brain was too focused on her shortcomings: where had 'not letting Drosselmeyer win' go? She wasn't sure where she was going, but her feet kept moving.

"Ahiru!" Fakir smacked his forehead, "Idiot," he mumbled to himself before he leapt down the stairs two at a time. He wasn't quick enough though, and met face to face with the mahogany front door. With a groan he debated chasing after her. He was doing a fine job of keeping her safe—that was for sure. He shook his head, and opened the entry. Already she was out of sight, and the rain from last night had calmed down a bit. A big part of him was worried she'd catch a cold—though, she more than likely needed some space. The writer sighed and closed the door again, she was always insisting that she could take care of herself. Right now he doubted his chasing after her would make things better. 'I'll apologize when she gets back…'

* * *

Ahiru wasn't sure how long she ran before her legs began throbbing in protest, forcing her to slow down to a trot. She rubbed at her eyes, though they hardly needed it; somehow her fatigue stopped her tears for her. "Why do I always have to act so childish," she complained under her breath, "Fakir's always telling me to grow up, and I can't even do that."

Absently, the girl inspected her surroundings to see where she was. "Great, now I'm lost," she mumbled in frustration, "Who'd think such a small town could change so much within two years?" It wasn't unthinkable, though, she decided. After all, it was during those two years that Kinkan Town regained control of itself. Without much drive she wandered around, trying to find a familiar site. Perhaps ten minutes passed before she came upon a familiar area.

"Oh!" Ahiru gasped, "This is that Oak Tree…" In a slight reverie, she walked up to the tall rock she remembered Fakir crouching in front of. Not long ago Fakir had been embedded within the Oak's magical cambium, slowly becoming one with the entity. Softly she ran the pads of her fingers along the smooth slate, tracing the crevices. She sighed and sunk to its base before resting her cheek on her knee. "I wonder what it had said to him…" In her exhaustion, blue globes drifted closed as she fingered through the blades of grass surrounding her.

"This is stupid," she murmured after a while, "I'm stupid. Why do I keep on turning everything into a fight?" Her fingers tugged at the small blade in her hand until it gave way, "What was I supposed to say though? I can't tell him the real reason I don't want to go, he'll be furious." Tiredly, her thick black lashes rose, letting her examine the thin plant. "What would Fakir say if I told him…that I'm going to die in one year?"

A flash caused her to look down at the white pendant around her neck, "Another one?" cornflower blue eyes glanced up as she looked around the clearing, "But there's no one here…" Curiously she glanced over her shoulder at the rock, "Could it be…?"

Determinedly, Ahiru stood, her brow furrowed as she clutched the gem at her breast. Once again the familiar sequence began; her body was enveloped in a comforting warmth as her limbs moved of their own volition. Quickly, the warmth dripped from her as if it were liquid heat, leaving her standing en pointe amongst the pouring rain.

"Oak Tree," she whispered as she gestured for the rock to join her in dance, "what pains you so?" As she spun, a sprout launched itself from the ground, growing until its trunk was thick and its leaves touched the clouds.

"I am unneeded," replied the Oak in its rich, dulcet tones. "I once gave guidance yet now I am forgotten."

Princess Tutu closed her eyes as she went from battement développé to a graceful brisé, "You are not forgotten," she murmured as she lightly caressed the bark, "if it were not for your help, the story would not have ended. You should be proud."

"But if the story had not ended I would still be necessary," the Oak cried.

"No," the prima ballerina shook her head and folded her arms in bras croisé, "there are always those who wish to write beautiful stories, and though they may not be able to hear you, it is your powers that inspire them."

"How can I inspire them if they do not hear me?"

"You are of legend," the Princess replied, "it is the Great Oak that writers look for, search for. Without you, they would be lost. They need you. And one day, someone who can hear you will come, it is then that your voice will be needed."

"I am needed?"

Princess Tutu nodded as she leaned toward the trunk, "Yes."

An aura of relief seemed to seep from the tree, "I am needed. Without me writers would be lost. Thank you."

With a slight shake of the head, she declined, "Not at all, I am—" she stopped as a flash of black light escaped from the slowly shrinking tree, nearly blinding her with its intensity, before it slammed into her pendant. With a pained cry, the ballerina fell to her knees as she tried to hold onto consciousness. Slowly, her vision blurred into blindness; thunder was the last thing she heard before everything went black.

* * *

Charon kicked off his shoes at the front door and shook his hat and coat off before hanging them up. "It really started pouring out there," he mumbled as he eyed the mess he made, "I ought to clean this up."

"Finally! I thought—Charon?" Fakir came from inside the kitchen, his face showed slight surprise.

The blacksmith nodded. "Were you expecting someone else?" he smirked slyly, "Perhaps a smaller, prettier, more female someone."

Fakir glowered at his adoptive father before returning to the kitchen, "She ran out in a huff."

With a heavy sigh, Charon ran his hand through his hair as he went to retrieve some rags. After satisfied with his cleaning job, he sought out the wicker basket his new ward used for laundry. He quickly found it by the back door, where she had dropped it that morning.

"You had another fight," it was a statement, not a question—a statement that made Fakir look at Charon as he entered the room.

"I guess," Fakir relented as he drummed his fingers against the table.

"And she ran out of the house in her fury," Charon continued. Fakir briefly flicked his glare up at the man before looking back at the wall, confirming his suspicions. He let out a loud breath as he sat and rested his forehead on his hand. "Fakir, I swear."

The boy ignored his father as he continued to stare at the wood-paneled wall, his ears straining to hear the door creak open over Charon's mutterings and his fingers' thrumming. He wasn't sure how long ago she had run out of the house, but his nerves were on edge and dread hardened in the pit of his stomach with every passing minute. He was certain it had been at least two hours, most likely more.

"That boy's not even listening," Charon shook his head as he stood. "I'll start on dinner."

Fakir barely registered Charon's announcement as he played with the idea of looking for Ahiru; he did, however, have enough sense to nod his head in the slightest. 'Would she go to the pond? Or—' his back straightened when his musings were interrupted by a loud clap of thunder. "Shit."

Charon look back at Fakir, "Are you—"

Fakir stood abruptly. "I'm going to go get her," he rushed to the closet and pulled out his coat, "That idiot." As an afterthought, he grabbed Charon's coat and tucked it into his arm. With his concern propelling him, he set into the rain with grim determination.

The pond had an almost otherworldly feel to it as raindrops danced on its surface. Fear gripped him as another series of lightning bolt lit the sky. Cupping his hands around his mouth he shouted, "Ahiru!" He looked frantically for any trace of her, discouraged when there was none to be found. He gripped the coat under his arm and ran back into the town, wondering where she could have run to. 'Maybe… could she have gone back to the Academy?' The thought seemed unlikely as she was thoroughly against the idea of re-enrolling, yet he had no other idea where she might have gone.

Cursing his current footwear as the pounding of his feet against the hard ground got to him, Fakir slowed when he reached the courtyard of Kinkan Academy. With deft eyes he assessed the area, affirming that the fiery, poppy-haired girl wasn't there. He clenched the coat in his arm as he regarded the window of the main practice room, 'Could she…?' There was nothing to lose from checking, he decided. It didn't take long to make his way into the ballet wing but his effort was fruitless.

"Damn it! Where is she?!" He pinched the bridge of his nose as he glared out the window he was previously staring into. After taking a deep breath he sprinted from the vacant room and back to the courtyard. 'It's no use; I'll have to search the town for her.'

The rain was getting heavier with every moment and lightning brightened the scenery every several minutes. Fakir growled in desperation before shouting again, "Ahiru! Where are you?!"

Another crack of thunder sounded as lightning flashed, giving a crumpled figure an illuminated appearance. "Ahiru!" Fakir skidded to a halt when he saw her lithe body collapsed in the flooded grass. His mind shot back to when he found her by the lake. A shaky gasp escaped his lips as he propped her shoulders up, "Ahiru, idiot, wake up!"

Black eyelashes feebly fluttered open, "Fakir…?"

The writer released a breath he didn't realize he was holding, "Idiot, why can't you think before you do something?" Though his words were biting, the duck could decipher his relief as if he were screaming it.

"I'm sorry, Fakir." She smiled slightly as she tried to sit up.

"Hey," he stopped her, "careful." With gentle but hurried motions he slipped Charon's slightly wet coat over her arms and lifted her up. "We need to get you back to the house and warm you up."

Ahiru allowed him to carry her, her body too enervated to really complain. A shiver racked her body when her brain began to comprehend how thoroughly soaked she was.

Feeling her slight frame shudder, Fakir held the girl closer, "What happened?"

Drowsily, blue pools blinked shut as Ahiru leaned her head in the crook of Fakir's neck. "I fell asleep."

"Idiot," he responded, finding the action to be quite in character for her. 'Can she really sleep through anything?'

She smiled, trying her best not to fall asleep for real. 'The pain isn't as bad as last time,' she speculated, 'I'm more exhausted than anything… I wish I knew what was going on.'

It wasn't long before Fakir was opening their front door. Charon leaned out of the kitchen, "Ah, I'm so relieved you found her."

"Sorry to worry you, Charon," Ahiru apologized before she looked up at Fakir, "You can put me down now." The boy frowned as he eased her to the ground; she stumbled a bit before steadying herself.

A grimace twisted her lips as another shiver shook her. Seeing this Charon fully came into the hall and gestured toward the stairs, "Maybe you should take a hot bath, Ahiru. Dinner will be ready when you get out."

Ahiru nodded, "I suppose that would be best, wouldn't it?" She hugged herself for warmth as she tottered up the stairs.

Fakir pressed his forehead against the back of his hand, "I think I'll go dry off and change clothes."

"Alright," Charon dismissed him as he walked back into the kitchen, "but would you mop up the floor when you're done?"

The younger male's eye twitched slightly in annoyance as he consented before following Ahiru upstairs.

* * *

Ahiru sighed in contentment as she lowered her body into the steaming water, her face flushing with the heat, "This is so relaxing." Her earlier woes seemed to melt from her person, but it wasn't long before the pendant caught her eye. "It's darker than before…" she whispered, fright tinting her tone. Hesitant fingers lifted the pendant so she could see it better. "Did I make the right choice?"

"**What's this, little duck? Having some doubts?**"

Her face darkened in color at the prospect of having a male in the same room she was bathing in—Drosselmeyer, no less. Sinking further into the tub so that only her head and neck were visible she replied, "Only when you're involved."

Uproarious laughter filled the small bathroom, causing ripples to distort the surface of the bathwater. "_Wise choice, my dear._" He appeared before her in full body, making the svelte girl slide further into her bath. "_However,_" he frowned, "_that just won't do; we made a deal, you know._"

Despite her discomfort and the overwhelming need to throw something at the man, Ahiru's desperation for answers gave her confidence. "What is happening to the pendant? And why am I collecting heart shards again?!"

"_Heart shards?_" Drosselmeyer cocked his head, a grin present nonetheless, "_My girl! Who ever said anything about heart shards?_"

"Then what those... those lights?"

The deceased author chuckled, "_Fragments, child._"

"Fragments?" Ahiru clutched at the stone around her neck, "Fragments of what?"

"_Of what, you ask?_" One of the man's hands slipped from its wrist, causing him to lean forward to catch it, a thoughtful pucker on his face during the while, "_Why, Ahiru, I would think it was obvious._"

The girl glared at him for the masked insult, "If it's so obvious, why don't you share?"

He grinned at this, "_It is much more entertaining to see you struggle. What kind of story,_" Ahiru grimaced at the word, "_would this be if you knew everything?_"

"A better one," she grumbled, again sinking further into the water.

Drosselmeyer smirked at this, "_You will know soon enough, little duck._" In a blink, he was gone.

The girl scowled and looked back down at the pendant, "Oh, it's white again."

"Ahiru," Fakir's muffled voice came from the outside the door, "you didn't fall asleep, did you?"

With a blush, she completely submerged her head before resurfacing, "No! I'm just washing my hair!"

"Idiot, don't take so long," he scoffed before adding in a softer tone, "I'm leaving a blanket outside the door. Come down to dinner when you're done."

"O-okay…" Ahiru's eyes suddenly clouded as she listened to the retreating footsteps. "I shouldn't be imposing on their lives," she whispered as she lathered her hair, "All I'm doing is causing trouble."

Suspended in the calm liquid, a gem shone a soft gray.

* * *

Fakir rolled his eyes as he sat at the kitchen table; that girl never failed to be late. He and Charon had already finished their meals and cleaned their dishes, yet Ahiru still hadn't made an appearance. Charon had even retired for the evening, stating he had to go to work early in the morning. He pushed away from the table and stood up, "I better go check on her again. Knowing her, she probably managed to drown."

"I'm done now, jerk." Fakir turned around to regard the short female. Her skin was flushed a slight pink—most likely from the warmth of her bath—and her slight figure was wrapped loosely in the wool blanket he left for her.

"Oh." He was almost mesmerized by how the light reflected off of her long, damp hair; he had never seen it out of its usual braid before. Waves of salmon that almost reached the floor seemed to cascade from her head like a waterfall. Shaking the thoughts from his head he began, "Your dinner is almost cold, you took so long."

Ahiru stuck her tongue out at him, "I was really dirty, okay? I'd like to see you sleep on the ground during a thunderstorm and not get dirty."

He shook his head and sat back down, "Just the fact that you can sleep outside during a thunderstorm and not wake up puts you on a whole different level."

She huffed and plopped down in the chair opposite of Fakir; her plate of now cool food sat in front of her, "If you were on the opposite side of an argument against yourself, you'd understand."

With his fore and middle fingers, Fakir massaged between his eyebrows, "That doesn't even make sense, Ahiru." He waited for her haughty reply, but got none. Upon peering up at her he witnessed her stuffing her mouth full with wild rice. He smiled and watched her eat for a moment, withholding his amusement as best he could.

"Charon ifh rewy goo tuh cuhing." She grinned at him from across the table, chewing on her mouthful.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, moron." Fakir admonished her, though his voice was softer than usual. Ahiru looked at him with curious eyes. Giving into his nervous habit of running his hand through his hair, Fakir sighed, "Look, I'm sorry… about earlier."

Surprise splashed across her face, causing her to look down at her plate. She wasn't exactly ready to start discussing her immature display from earlier or, for that matter, why they were fighting in the first place. "Er… you don't have to be," she finally said as she stood, "it wasn't really your fault." Self consciously she picked up her plate and began washing it in the sink. She could feel Fakir's anticipation for more of an explanation, but she didn't supply one.

Eventually, uncomfortable with the energy in the room, she began, "You know, your bathroom is really nice. I mean, the one I used back at the Academy," she inwardly flinched, instantly regretting mentioning the building, "wasn't nearly as nice, or big. And your tub is really comfortable! Like the one I had was so cramped, and I could hardly stretch my legs out! Though it makes sense you have a bigger bathtub, I guess, because you and Charon are so much taller than me… Hm, it must be nice to be tall. What if you got so tall that you had to bend down to get through doors? And—"

"Ahiru, you're going to break that plate if you keep on scrubbing at it like that." Fakir intervened, taking the plate from her and rinsing it.

"Oh… sorry." She clutched at the edges of the blanket, drawing it closer to her body.

"This is why you've been banned from kitchen work," he teased as he dried the plate and put it back in the cupboard. For some reason his words pulled at her heart and she looked down dejectedly. Seeing her downcast eyes, he panicked, "Hey, I'm just kidding. Don't take it to heart."

"I-I know," she sniffed, "I just… I don't know…"

"Uhm," Fakir looked around uneasily, "maybe you should go to bed, it's been a long day."

Ahiru nodded in agreement but didn't move. Hesitantly, she reached out from the warm embrace of the blanket and grasped his hand before heading upstairs, pulling him with her.

The knight's face colored as he stared at their joint hands in embarrassment; he put up no resistance and followed the duck, his eyes once again falling to her poppy-colored locks.

'What am I doing? Fakir doesn't want me here.' But for some reason, the idea of him not needing her was frightening. A gray glitter from inside the blanket startled her outside of her door.

Sensing a change in Ahiru's demeanor, Fakir leaned over her shoulder, "Are you alright?"

Uncertainty consumed the girl, causing her to drop his hand. A second passed before she moved to her window seat, leaving Fakir patiently leaning against the door jamb. Slowly, after waiting for a few moments, he made his over until he was standing directly behind her.

"I saw Pique and Lilie," Ahiru whispered after another moment of deliberation.

Fakir watched her reflection in the window, "What?"

She wrapped the blanket around her uncovered toes, "I saw Pique and Lilie."

"When?"

"When I bought bird seed. They were in the town square."

Fakir remained silent, sensing she wanted to say something else.

"They replaced me."

"What?"

"There was this girl, Lory, and… they replaced me."

He sat down next to her and tentatively rested his hand on her shoulder, "Idiot, if that's what was wrong you should have said something."

"I just… I don't know," she mumbled. Fakir watched her toy with the fraying hem of the slate-colored blanket.

Unsure of what to say or do, he began, "If you really don't want to return to Kinkan Academy, I won't make you."

Ahiru took in a shuddering breath before launching herself into his arms, bewildering him, "I'm sorry, Fakir. It isn't like I don't want to dance any more… I just… I mean, it's not like I wouldn't like to know Lory or anything, right? But everything's changed there and I—"

"Hey," Fakir awkwardly patted her back, "you don't have to explain everything, I understand." He exhaled and looked out the window, "You could've told me."

"Sorry—"

"Stop apologizing."

"I didn't know what to say, I guess." She snuggled further into his chest, forcing him to resituate his back against the wall. Her fatigue was seeping back into her with a vengeance, pulling her eyelids down. Before she was all but drained of her energy she fumbled with the blanket, spreading it so that it covered her and Fakir.

Fakir's face reddened at their proximity and position; flustered, his body tensed as she drew herself against him. About two minutes passed before he started, "Ahiru, you should go to bed." When no reply came, he craned his neck to the side so he could better see her face. 'She's asleep.' He smiled and let go of the tension in his muscles, letting his body relax.

Tenderly, he rested an arm around her shoulders as he leaned his head against the window. His intense gaze focused on the dark shingles tiling the roof, but his mind was on the petite girl in his arms. 'God, this is a mess. How could I forget the possibility that her friends had found a replacement for her?! …Ahiru,' his eyes wandered to her sleeping form before they darted back to the roof. 'What can I do to help her? First Mytho and now her—am I really that helpless?' He resisted the temptation to absent mindedly comb his fingers through her hair as he glanced up at the starry sky, 'It can't be Drosselmeyer, can it?' Fakir mentally shook the idea from his head, 'No, we put an end to that.'

Vaguely Fakir registered the grandfather clock in the living room ringing ten'o'clock. 'I should go now." He lightly shifted the slumbering duck in his arms, "Ahiru, come on, we should get you in bed." Upon getting no response from her, he slipped his arm under her legs while ensuring he had a decent hold on her back. With a grunt, he lifted her off of him and settled her under the blankets. As he pulled the yellow comforter to her chin, he was struck by how fragile she looked. With a frown he stood back, regarding her face critically. "I'll figure this out, Ahiru, I promise. I won't let you get hurt." Being as quiet as he could, he left the room and closed the door; his promise hung in the air.

* * *

"My, my! What is this?" Drosselmeyer's voice reverberated with delight. Before him a rotating gear showed a young man with dark myrtle hair. With shining eyes, he watched as the boy sat down at his desk. "My progeny is trying to write a story!" He grinned, "And without the little duck's permission as well!" His body quivered with laughter, "Foolish boy, you will learn quickly."

* * *

A/N: Whaa… that took a long time. I suppose I owe an apology for taking so long to update, but I did warn you. Unsurprisingly, it's that time again: B's—StabbityMcStabStab's—birthday again. She, shockingly, did not request I update AOoaL for her, but I felt it was necessary. That and I've been in a really Fakiru mood lately. So, Happy Birthday, B! Hope this isn't a major failure gift!

That aside, I hope you do not find this too dramatic, I promise it's the last major fight Ahiru and Fakir will have for a while. Personally, I think in this situation they both have to readjust to Ahiru being human again—that and Ahiru has to deal with lying to Fakir. Considering that she hates lying, especially to her friends, I figure it would be a pretty hefty weight on her chest. Ah, but I s'pose I'm being redundant, you can figure that out simply from reading the fic. Anyway, please give me feedback on what I have so far, I love reading what you all have to say: it helps me improve myself as a writer. For that, I am grateful. Peace and Love-love, zura!


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